Paws for One Love

🥰 Beautiful moment spent with my loves !

Due to lack of socialization Baxter was insecure leading to reactivity around other dogs. With proper introductions this boy discovered a missing key to his happiness — playmates!! Not only does he enjoy having friends, he’s neutral passing dogs while on walks! #SocializationTraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #playmates #AppropriatePlay #LearnFromFriends

One of my favorite aspects of dog training is when clients update me and share proud moments / first time experiences / creating family memories!!!!! ☺️ #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogadventure #bikingwithdogs #FamilyAdventure #familyactivities #nature #enjoyinglifetogether

Relationship building with Baxter 🩵 before any training begins I take my dogs on a decompression walk through the trails. I ask nothing from the dogs and allow them to behave freely — within reason. During this time of existing together without any interactions a bond begins to form 💕 At the halfway point they begin to notice me, and check in with a glance. Realizing they get acknowledged and rewarded for eye contact they not only begin to offer it more but physically check in!! #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogtrainerlife #decompressionwalk #joyofnature #goodbehavior #bondingmoments #eyecontact #longlinetraining #engagement

A moment of love 💗 this is a beautiful experience not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy! Majority of dogs would not be comfortable in this situation and depend on their owners advocating for their personal space. Reasons your dog would find this stressful: tight space that’s crowded with no “escape” / surrounded by strangers who are bending over causing pressure while stroking. Understanding your dogs temperament is crucial to your relationship and the safety of others. Just because you might not get to experience this firsthand doesn’t mean you can’t find as much satisfaction through observation 🩷 #momentoflove #doglover #dogsandchildren #dogtrainer #dogtraining #bondingmoments #socialcanine #spreadloveandkindness #onelove

Moments like this 🥹 my first community canine walk included Millie (golden doodle), Nova (husky) and Nova’s owner (who did beautiful!!). Due to the breed, understandably, Nova’s owner had not felt comfortable taking her off leash but loved seeing videos of her during training / visits with me of her enjoying freedom. Her participating in this walk offered support, guidance & confidence gain in her ability to safely provide her love the freedom to explore 🐾 this was special to me being apart of but also witnessing! I got to step back and view someone else enjoying my favorite experience for themselves 💕 #dogtrainer #dogtraining #offleashk9training #offleashfreedom #caninefriends #caninecompanion #confidenceboost #dogowner #husky #huskyowner #trails #nature #clientrelationships

Throwback to #franconia #fall2022 🍂 this was my first hiking adventure with Asher experiencing high foot traffic 🤣 😅 To be honest I expected him to get impatient at the viewpoint since the buildup held us in position for a decent length of time but this boy impressed, taking in the beauty around 🥹 when you are among a crowd but feel alone with the one you are connected to 💗 #franconianotch #getoutthere #alltrails #huskylovers #trafficinthewood #naturelover #trainyourdog #newenglandfall

Trail etiquette 🐴 (part 3/3): creating a positive encounter between your dog and passing horses on the trail. If you take your dog on a trail that allows horses, even if you have never encountered one you should be taking precautions. Be honest with yourself because the safety of lives (the horses, their riders, your dog(s), yourself and potentially others) depends on it. Unless your dog has reliable recall around distractions (dogs / people / prey) along with an engaged relationship with you their owner who is actively aware of their surroundings then it’s a risk not worth taking. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have freedom on the trail!! It just means it might be a different version. My suggestion is use a longline on horse friendly trails. After several encounters base your honest decision off of your dog’s behavior. If they seem trustworthy keep the longline on but dropped, that way if needed you can secure your dog. You can eventually move to a short leash dropped or if you are at the level of your dog being trusted I would allow them off leash but carry one on hand for moments needed including passing horses. Please consider others before letting your dogs off leash, although at times it might feel like you have the trails to yourself in reality many lives pass through that environment at different times and could be aligned 🐾 #dogtraining #dogtrainer #reactivedog #reactivedogtraining #horsebackriding #trailetiquette #sharethetrail #Massachusetts #trailsafety

Trail etiquette (part 2/3): phase 2 of how to handle your dog around horses on trail. After rounds of repetition at a distance you can slowly begin closing the gap. Do so in increments and watch your dogs body language. It should remain loose with soft eyes of observation that occasionally check in or breaks focus. If it changes to stiff / alert / fixation / reacting then that is a sign to create more distance. Some dogs can keep moving closer at a consistent rate while others might start far, move closer, move back, move back, move closer, move back, move closer. Many factors come into play involving your dog and yourself, creating a personalized process that cannot be rushed. Just because your dog didn’t react at a certain distance once doesn’t mean it’s time to move on to the next! Repetition with consistent results leads to success!! #dogtraining #dogtrainer #reactivedog #reactivedogtraining #trailetiquette #horsebackriding #sharethetrail #Massachusetts

Trail etiquette (part 1/3): handling your dog around horses. When experiencing a first encounter with horses on the trail it is important to create SPACE. This means moving off trails at a far enough distance where your dog can safely observe rather than react due to fear / insecurity / pressure / restriction, etc. Allow horses to travel out of sight before carrying on your adventure 🐴🐾 #dogtraining #dogtrainer #reactivedog #reactivedogtraining #horsebackriding #trailetiquette #sharethetrail #Massachusetts

When your best friend squishes your “annoying” little sister — proud moment 😂 the floof was unharmed during this defeat lol #dogsiblings #housemates #bestfriends #family

When your dog is extremely well behaved & relaxed during holiday shopping he goes unnoticed 🥹 observing the chaos from within without being involved ! Proud of this boy 🥲 #holidayseason #holidayshopping #dogtraining #relaxeddog

Choosing appropriate challenges for your dog sets them up for success ! Waffles is confident, social and has high energy which he enjoys turning into focus used to conquer challenges ⚡️ #ChallengeAccepted #FocusedEnergy #dogtraining

Does your dog seek out and get excited for challenges or do they shy away? Starting simple with a focus on encouragement will boost your dogs confidence and provides them knowledge on their own capabilities 😌 #encouragementispower #supportingenergy

Churro handling his maximum level distractions like a number one 😮‍💨 observing his surroundings while remaining in a calm state of mind ! This young playful boy know when it’s time to play vs when it’s time to relax #calmstateofmind #observationskills

Churro’s transition phase between minimal to moderate distractions. As you can hear their is a lot of activity around us but this boy is totally relaxed 😌 #relaxeddog #calmdogsarehappydogs

Are you choosing the appropriate training environment for your dog?? The process taken should be first making sure your dog understands commands with no distractions. Then minimum followed by moderate and lastly maximum. The minimum distraction environment is where confidence is gained and transformation occurs !! Craft stores make for a great training spot where rather than be overwhelmed your dog can process their environment including smells / sounds / sights. It’s a pressure-free environment and shoppers are respectful when you advocate for your dogs space 😊

Number one behavior during grooming at the self wash station 😍 #dogtraining #grooming #calmness

Tater has mastered her relaxation skills having a calm mindset even when in a lively environment ☺️ #relaxation #observation #energyawareness #dogtraining

Having a well behaved Holiday shopping buddy alleviates the stress of waiting in line 😮‍💨 #trainyourdog #takethemwithyou