05/08/2024
Ok, this has kicked my ass, but I think I've nailed my new business cards.
What do you think?
Pawsome by Jen
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- Pawsome by Jen
I am dedicated to making dog training a tail-wagging adventure, all from the comfort of your home.
(1)
21/04/2024
Bringing a new puppy home is a moment full of hope and sometimes, a touch of uncertainty. Remember, the best time to guide your little one is now, before habits are formed. As a professional dog trainer, I'm here to offer a helping hand right from the start. With gentle, positive reinforcement, we'll build the bond between you and your puppy, setting a foundation for a lifetime of mutual respect and understanding. Let's ensure your new furry family member has the very best start in life. Together, we can make this beautiful beginning a harmonious one.
13/03/2024
This is little miss Sadie. She's almost sixteen months old, and has been in her forever home for just under 3 months. She gets lots of exercise every day (she's got two new older sisters (Kimber and Remy) to play with and several acres she gets to chase her Dad around on while he rides his side by side) but she's really been struggling with settling in to her new home. There's too many new sounds, new people, new smells, new dog siblings. And she hasn't quite figured out her job yet, or what she's supposed to bark at and alert her parents and doggie sisters to. So, just in case, she's been barking an extra lot--every time someone walks into the room or stands up or is out of her sight.
She isn't trying to be annoying, it's just a new world and she's trying to find her place in it and learn to trust again.
So I've had her dog parents helping her with impulse control. But a very big part of teaching Sadie impulse control has been building her trust that her new guardians aren't going to let her dog sisters steal her treats and rewards for listening. We originally tried to do this with her sisters outside, out of her sight, but this just caused her too much anxiety. So this week, I asked to keep K and R inside, just out of Sadie's immediate line of sight. She still struggled with focus but was able to learn the basics of Leave It in just a few seconds. And once she realized the more she listened and focused, the more praise and treats she got from her mom. Which is exactly what we were hoping for, because every time she was rewarded for her impulse control, the quicker and easier it was to regain and hold her attention.
We've been working with Sadie for three weeks now, and every Sit, every Stay, every Paw, feels like a victory because you can see how hard she struggles to control her anxiety and impulses, but watching her gain that trust and confidence in herself and her new parents has been one of the best things of my year so far. It hasn't been easy, but they're doing the work and putting in all the effort, and you can see the results every time I walk back into their home.
06/03/2024
Anyone else's dog suuuuper subtle when they're hungry?
01/02/2024
"Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen." Orhan Pamuk
31/01/2024
Westley, aka Sassypants, has been on VERY strict bed rest for the last two months. He hurt something in his back leg early last month, but since he legit panics and hyperventilates at the vet, they wanted to put off sedation and running tests until we let him rest with a couple months worth of Rimadyl and Trazodone (to keep him chill with no exercise).
You guys. My poor boy went from walking/hiking 3-5 miles every day with me for 4 years to less than 2 miles in two months. It's been so hard on him. For 4.5 years he knew that pretty much anywhere I went, he went, too. But over the last 8 weeks, he stopped getting up when I did, stopped waiting on the stairs for me to put his collar on every time I got ready to leave, stopped snuggling with me, and just wasn't the same happy, goofy dog. I tried to make up for not taking him out on hikes every day with training because next to walks and playing Chase (which involves running so we couldn't do that, either), training is his favorite thing to do. He doesn't care if it's building on a cue he's already mastered or learning something new, the second I would tell him to sit, he'd plop his big butt down and stay hyperfocused on me until we were done.
But the last couple of months, he just... went through the motions, completely disengaged. I knew why. Our daily walks had become OUR routine, our happy place where we bonded and communicated without words, where he was always rewarded for being good, and being out on a trail or sidewalk and seeing his happy, goofy smile would make me so happy, it's always been my main motivation to take him out on days I reaaaaalllyyy don't want to do it.
I just didn't realize how much those walks and seeing his ridiculous smile kept my own depression at bay. And it hurt so bad to see his confusion, and his absolute trust in me fade. 😢😢😭
I kept telling myself (and him) that I was doing it to get him better so we could hit the trails again sooner, but it really just sucked.
Anyway. He's not 100% better, but he got a short walk today and I got to see my boy happy for the first time in way, way too long.
26/01/2024
A life well spent, indeed 😍🐾
05/12/2023
Link in bio!
03/12/2023
🐾 Most dogs struggle with boredom to some extent. Just like us, they thrive on mental stimulation and engagement. Because they can't speak and tell us what they need, their boredom tends to come out in unwanted behaviors and restlessness. That's why keeping them entertained and mentally stimulated is so important.
Enrichment activities, such as puzzles, interactive toys, and engaging games, aren't just fun—they're essential for a happy, healthy dog!
What's your dog's favorite boredom buster? What's your go to mental enrichment activity to alleviate restlessness and boredom in your dog?
01/12/2023
Why is positive reinforcement important?
1. **It Promotes Trust Between You and Your Dog.** Praising and rewarding yiue dog for the good things he does not only encourages him to repeat the behavior, your dog learns to associate you with really good things, too.
2. **It Creates Positive Associations:** Creating a positive learning environment where your dog associates training with enjoyable experiences will make learning more effective and enjoyable for them.
3. **Improves Behavior and Confidence:** It encourages desired behaviors while boosting your dog's confidence, leading to more consistent and lasting results.
4. **Respects Your Dog's Well-being:** It prioritizes your dog's mental and emotional well-being by avoiding fear or stress-inducing methods, ensuring a happier, more well-adjusted dog.
5. **Encourages Problem Solving:** It encourages dogs to think and problem-solve, leading to a more mentally stimulated and engaged pet.
6. **Long-Term Results:** Science has shown that behavior changes by establishing positive habits and routines and without relying on punishment or force lead to life-long changes in our dogs.
Reinforcing good behaviors in our dogs isn't ‘spoiling’ them. We're rewarding the behaviors we want to see, which encourages our dogs to repeat that behavior. It's about teaching your dog that listening to you means really good things happen.
11/11/2023
Hey there! I'm Jen.
I've been working with dogs for almost three years now, but I took a small break at the beginning of this year to get my VSA certification in force-free dog training. Why force-free? Science has shown that training only through positive reinforcement methods helped build a happier, more confident, and more well -rounded dog. So, if you're looking for a positive, effective, and aversive-free approach to dog training, I'd love to connect and see how I can best help you.
From basic cues to tackling specific challenges, we'll work together to achieve pawsome results.
Included with every training package is:
🐾 An in-depth management and training plan customized for you and your dog
🐾1 on 1 training in your own home, where your dog is most comfortable
🐾100% force free, positive reinforcement only training
🐾 Weekly enrichment and homework plan
🐾 Ongoing support via text, phone, or email
My schedule is now open for new clients, so if you're ready to get to work at helping your dog become the absolute best version they can be, don't hesitate to reach out!
Training Tips
07/11/2023
Is your dog jumping on visitors and you want to stop it now before company comes for the holidays? Or maybe you're struggling with their daily walks because they pull on the leash so much, neither of you can enjoy the much-needed exercise?
That's what I'm here to help with, so let me create a customized training plan addressing your dog's specific problem behaviors.
Now's the time to reach out. All training services (including initial consultation fee) are 25% off, just for the month of November.
Every training package includes:
*An individualized training plan designed specifically to help you with your dog's needs
*Weekly homework and training plan
*Detailed enrichment plan
*Training in your own home to keep your dog as comfortable as possible
🐾 https://pawsomedogsbyjen.com/services/ 🐾
05/11/2023
Anyone else?
03/11/2023
Every time.
So cuteee 😍😍😍
09/08/2023
Look. Don't do this, ok? A dog should not have to please you just to eat. They should not have to hit whatever imaginary bar you have set for them to be fed.
Oh boy....This is a controversial one. It has been sitting in the pile waiting for the right time to post.
If you are doing this and have no issues with this...great.
If you have seen this advice everywhere on social media and think it may be a good idea, this is just a post and a graphic about the "flip" side.
This advice seems to be everywhere at the moment....and there is no exaggeration with the issues it can cause.
It may seem like a good idea.
"more engagement"
"stronger bond"
"a better connection"......or it really can cause some of the worst behavioural issues dogs can have.
If this is something you are thinking about....then I wrote this for you.... because no-one seems to state the negatives to this....and there really are some big negatives.
28/07/2023
This is so important. Punishing your dog for jumping when people walk into your home isn't going to teach him jumping is bad--he's going to learn that bad things happen to him when people walk in. Causing your friendly, happy dog to become fearful of the people he was once so excited to see he literally couldn't sit still.
Susan Garret has an excellent video here: https://youtu.be/Iy4KUSCc3cw
And Kikopup's Polite Greetings-STOP Jumping: https://youtu.be/wghJ7xFotqY
27/07/2023
Yes. All day. 'No' is not a cue.
🗣️ One common frustration voiced by puppy parents is the repetitive cycle of saying "no" to their biting puppy, only to find the behavior persisting despite being told “NO!” a thousand times.
🤔 It's not surprising, considering that "no" is not a behavior itself. When your puppy jumps, bites your hands, scratches you, and you suddenly utter "NO," how is your puppy supposed to understand what you want? Do you want them to stop biting, scratching, jumping, or tugging at your clothes?
🐶 Additionally, puppies don't comprehend English by default. Words hold no meaning for them unless we associate specific actions with those words through training. To them, it's merely sound.
🚫 "No" doesn't provide your puppy with clear guidance on what you desire. They might be just as puzzled about your intentions as you are about why they "aren't listening."
⚠️ Moreover, if you say "NO" while your puppy is jumping and biting, you might unintentionally reinforce the behavior. Your attention becomes a form of reward when you engage with them (remember, they don't understand the word "no"). Furthermore, your instinctive movements to protect yourself by shifting your hands, feet, arms, and legs can inadvertently encourage the jumping and biting—creating a super fun game for puppies.
🔄 Instead of tirelessly repeating "no," redirect your puppy's attention to an appropriate toy or chew.
🗨️ "You can't chew on me, but you can chew on this."
05/07/2023
28/06/2023
Zookeepers practice cooperative care with large cats to make it safer and easier for the cats and caretakers.
I love this so much.
20/06/2023
If your dog's recall is not 100% bullet proof, they do not belong off leash in public. Ever.
Can you imagine how scary it is for a leashed dog to have a strange one come charging at them, invading their personal space without warning? Even the most mild-mannered, dog-friendly dog can react badly in this situation.
I don't care how sweet and nice and perfect your dog is, for their safety and the safety of every other dog (and human) sharing that park with you, keep them on a leash.
Did you know it is YOUR responsibility to keep your dog in your control? The best and safest way is for them to be on leash.
Even if they are friendly.
Even if they are trained.
Even if they’ve never ran from you.
It is for your dog’s safety and everyone else’s. 🐾
07/06/2023
I don't know what kills me more, the majestic sassiness or the crossed paws. Either way, I love this dog.
04/05/2023
Found this on Reddit and had to agree. And share.
I'm glad your dog is friendly. Really, I am. But that doesn't mean that every dog you encounter IS. If your dog does not have bullet proof recall under *every* circumstance, your dog should not be off leash in public areas. Especially when there are leash laws.
Also, this whole post could work for children, too. Do not ever let your child run up on a strange dog. A lot of dogs are afraid of kids--kids are too loud, too unpredictable, and don't always understand personal space, boundaries, or a dog's warning signals that they're uncomfortable.
01/04/2023
This may be the cutest thing ever.
22/02/2023
This is the cutest thing ever.
22/02/2023
WHOSE WALK IS IT ANYWAY?
Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through new scenery and enticing scents after being cooped up in the same place all day, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged or yanked along at a quick pace.
I imagine that this is how dogs feel when we don’t allow them time to stop, sniff and explore the environment. Dogs largely perceive their world through scent and it’s how they collect and process information and make sense of the world.
Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk really isn’t fair and as much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important.
Allowing dogs to choose when to stop and sniff provides so many benefits – increases self-confidence, promotes calmness, lowers stress and anxiety levels, lowers pulse rates, reduces cognitive decline in older dogs and provides important mental and environmental enrichment.
Make time for a slow sniffing walk when you can, where your dog is allowed to choose which direction to go and allowed time to just investigate, interpret the environment and follow wherever their nose leads them.
It may take far more time and patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that particular blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it – after all, whose walk is it anyway?
21/02/2023
Your dog does something naughty. You've caught him red pawed! He sits there with his ears back, and avoids eye contact with you. He knew he was being naughty... Right?
Click to find out what he was really thinking!
https://www.leashandlearnnyc.com/post/he-knows-he-s-guilty-and-4-other-dog-body-language-myths
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Videos
This is Jackson. He's a 2 year old chocolate Heeler. His people reached out to me early last month because while they split their time between two very dog friendly communities, Jackson was aggressively barking, lunging, and scaring off anyone he was unfamiliar with, even on the trail that borders their yard. My plan was easy and I knew it would work because I used it with my own reactive Heeler, they would just need to do the work and stay consistent. Which is why I enlisted Westley to help me at three different training sessions this month, even though he's still not fully back to 100% after his surgeries in April (he's at like 75%, though!). I wanted Jackson's people to see with their own eyes what their future with Jackson could look like, as long as they put the effort in to stay consistent, because Westley WAS Jackson at 2 years old. But I also wanted them to see what trust and communication between dogs and their people looks like, because in a lot of ways, cattle dogs NEED to trust their humans. They need to know they're being heard, that when they say something isn't ok or makes them uneasy, they're being listened to. Which is what desensitization and counterconditioning is about: you understand X makes them afraid/uncomfortable, so you help him conquer than negative emotion while slowly reassociating that trigger with really positive things (toys, pets, praise, all of the above). You move at their comfort level, establishing the trust with them that you'll listen to their cues and won't push them past their threshold. We had to get Westley 1000 feet away to start with before Jackson was able to see him but stay calm enough to not react to him, but 4 weeks later and Jackson was not only to stay calm with West less than 20 feet away, he made the choice to look away and at his people for the first time. This was a HUGE victory for Jackson and his family, and a huge leap towards the outings and life they're hoping to be able to share with him for the rest
The hero and I just dropped Westley off for bilateral TPLOs. He was so scared, I had to walk him back to the prep room because he wouldn't leave me. The next few days are going to be so rough. We live in a bi-level so there's two flights of stairs to get in and out of my house. Nico made him a real grass potty pad for the back porch so he won't have to do the stairs for the first few days other than getting into the house, and I bought him a Help Em Up harness to help him get up and down after that. The bad news: Absolutely no activity for the next month beyond bare minimum for potty breaks and making sure his muscles don't atrophy. The good news: If I can keep him calm for the next month, we'll be able to start with short, controlled leash walks for a month. If I can manage to somehow keep him calm (😬😬) through all that, we can go back to off leash, full crazy Heeler muchness by end of June. Video of him swimming last summer after being TERRIFIED of the water for the last three years to remind myself how much of a badass he is.
This is little miss Sadie. She's almost sixteen months old, and has been in her forever home for just under 3 months. She gets lots of exercise every day (she's got two new older sisters (Kimber and Remy) to play with and several acres she gets to chase her Dad around on while he rides his side by side) but she's really been struggling with settling in to her new home. There's too many new sounds, new people, new smells, new dog siblings. And she hasn't quite figured out her job yet, or what she's supposed to bark at and alert her parents and doggie sisters to. So, just in case, she's been barking an extra lot--every time someone walks into the room or stands up or is out of her sight. She isn't trying to be annoying, it's just a new world and she's trying to find her place in it and learn to trust again. So I've had her dog parents helping her with impulse control. But a very big part of teaching Sadie impulse control has been building her trust that her new guardians aren't going to let her dog sisters steal her treats and rewards for listening. We originally tried to do this with her sisters outside, out of her sight, but this just caused her too much anxiety. So this week, I asked to keep K and R inside, just out of Sadie's immediate line of sight. She still struggled with focus but was able to learn the basics of Leave It in just a few seconds. And once she realized the more she listened and focused, the more praise and treats she got from her mom. Which is exactly what we were hoping for, because every time she was rewarded for her impulse control, the quicker and easier it was to regain and hold her attention. We've been working with Sadie for three weeks now, and every Sit, every Stay, every Paw, feels like a victory because you can see how hard she struggles to control her anxiety and impulses, but watching her gain that trust and confidence in herself and her new parents has been one of the best things of my year so far. It hasn't been easy, but they'r
Westley never fails to amaze me. He is TERRIFIED of the vet. Normally, this dog will patiently follow me anywhere, for any length of time, but we haven't made it to the vet once in 4 years without him attempting to rip my arm out of the socket with his mad, crazy sprints towards freedom. And once he realizes that's not going to work, he starts to shut down on me. Today was no different. After fifteen minutes of overwhelming stress until he was panting so hard he drooled, wouldn't take even his highest value treats, and wouldn't make eye contact with me (his default behavior when he's unsure of a situation or scared), he was too over-threshold to pay attention to anything but staring at the wall. Then I tried 'Wait'. While he's on the floor, I'll tell him to wait while I place treats on his paws. He'll then instantly make eye contact with me until I tell him to go get 'em (his record was 7 minutes of eye contact until I told him to go get 'em). And while I had to wait for the eye contact this time and it was barely a flicker, it was such a huge win for my boy, I wanted to jump up and happy dance. #PositiveDogTraining #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcement #acd #australiancattledogsofinstagram #blueheeler #forcefreedogtraining #nwi
He's not wrong. @thevibewithky #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogsofinstagram #dogs
This face, you guys. Westley is a little over 4 years old. We've had him for 4 years this month. From the day we brought him home, I've made it a point to tell him a million times a day that he's a good boy. He's rewarded constantly for listening and paying attention and just being, well, a good boy. And I still get this goofy, happy look for noticing and praising him. Not to get too sappy or anything, but this face is the reason I became a dog trainer. It's the reason I believe so strongly in positive reinforcement training. Because West didn't come to us this happy and confident. I was at the lowest point in my life and struggling to keep my head above water when he came to us, terrified of his own shadow--afraid of everyone and everything. I knew nothing about dog training when I brought him home and I knew even less about force free training. I just knew he saved my life (literally) and I needed to give him the absolute best life I possibly could in return. #pawsomedogsbyjen #pawsomebyjen #dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivedogtraining #forcefreedogtraining #forcefree #forcefreetraining #acd #australiancattledogsofinstagram #blueheeler #redheeler #nwi #nwindiana #ClickerTraining #RewardBasedTraining #ScienceBasedTraining #DogTrainingTips #GoodDog #TrainWithLove #HappyDog
Ok, you gotta forgive my goofy voiceover, but you guys. This is AMAZING. When West was a year old he had the zoomies our first time at the beach, and went under, scaring him so badly I've spent the last three years trying to undo his fear of water. I've spent every summer working on getting him used to the lake and trusting me enough to push his boundaries and go a little farther every time. It took a massive amount of bribes and patience and SO MUCH stubbornness (on both our parts 🤣) to get him to this. Ten minutes after I recorded this, I sat in my car for five minutes just crying and telling him over and over what a good boy he is. This is freaking HUGE for him. #pawsomedogsbyjen #dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivedogtraining #forcefreedogtraining #forcefree #forcefreetraining #acd #australiancattledogsofinstagram #blueheeler #redheeler #nwi #nwindiana
This may be the cutest thing ever.
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