Healthy Mind Canine - Separation Anxiety Training

19/08/2024

We've won the platinum spot in the pet training category for the best of Maple Grove! Thank you all so much for your trust and support! 🏅💜

15/07/2024

Welcome Sue!! 💜

13/07/2024

Did you know, something as simple as sniffing a pile of leaves can have a calming effect on your dog? 🍂

Engaging a primary scent or carrying out repetitive actions such as licking or chewing (providing there’s no threat in the environment) are considered meditative processes. Why? Because they support appropriate gating of sensory integration.

This damping down of activity between neurons means there’s less traffic between the different brain areas, making communication much more ordered and rhythmical.

12/07/2024

Check out our newest testimonial! It was an absolute privilage to work with Ally and sweet Josie!

07/07/2024

Regressions, setbacks, and roadblocks are all normal parts of training.

What matters most is that we are flexible and can adjust our training to conquer those regressions and continue our path to a happy, trusting dog.

02/07/2024

Dogs with separation related anxiety often times are noise phobic as well. The 4th of July can be quite stressful for them so we want to do our best to reduce their stress however we can!

1. Talk to your vet! Though your dog may already be on a daily medication, your vet may recommend using a situational medication during the fireworks if your dog is nervous about loud noises. You'll want to test out the new medication before you actually need it to make sure your dog does well on it! We know that some pet owners hesitate to layer medication like this but often times it is the kindest thing we can do for them in the short term.

2. Do not 🛑 leave your separation anxiety dog home alone during the fireworks. Even if you know your dog can handle a couple hours of alone time normally, leaving them during a scary event like this is likely to set you back in training significantly. We never want the dog experiencing fear when alone even if the scary thing is not the alone time itself. Dogs are masters at making associations. If your dog is hyper attached to you a pet sitter might not cut it.
Do not 🛑 take your dog to a firework display. This goes for any dog really! The lights, the unpredictable loud noises, kids running in the dark, people clapping/cheering, ect.. These are all things that many dogs are uncomfortable with and many dogs go missing during the 4th because they are afraid/stressed/overwhelmed. Even if you think your dog will be fine, don't bring them. No one expects their dog to run away but it happens far more than it should. Expect the unexpected.

3. Pause separation anxiety training for a few days around this time. Especially if you know your dog doesn't like loud noises. No one does their best when they are stressed! Stress can affect the dogs progress even if unrelated to being alone.

4. Don't be afraid to calmly comfort your dog! Positively reinforcing fear by comforting your dog is a myth. Fear/anxiety and the behaviors that come with them are not voluntary and therefore there is nothing to reinforce. We can only reinforce things that the dog can actually control! Refusing to comfort your dog only damages their relationship and attachment to you. It teaches them that they cannot rely on you to help them when they need help. This can actually make their anxiety worse in the moment and in the future. Insecure attachment can also contribute to many other problem behaviors. Be your dog's safety net! You want them to run to you when they need help, not away from you because they know you won't help them.

5. Drown out noise and visual stimuli. Use fans, white noise, music, TV, and black out curtains. Whatever works best for your dog!

16/06/2024

Happy fathers day to all the dog dads out there doing their best to help their dogs in compassionate ways ❤️

27/05/2024

14/05/2024

Yep 👀

13/05/2024

Come see us at our booth at Tails & Ales in Maple Grove this Saturday! We’ll be selling some super cute lick mats!

09/04/2024

05/04/2024

ADOLESCENCE:
As dogs go through adolescence, it’s safe to say things turn a little topsy-turvy! 🙃

If you’re currently at this stage and feeling like you’ve taken one step forward and two steps back, don’t panic! During this stage of life, there’s a lot going on in their busy little brains.

Here are three facts about the adolescent brain 🧠👇

1. The inhibitory neurons of the amygdala that help to dampen down emotional responses don’t fully mature until the END of adolescence.

2. Communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, which is essential for skills training, decreases during adolescence.

3. Extinction memory is impaired during adolescence, so if your dog has a bad experience it’s much more likely to lead to a ‘hard wired’ fear memory.

Have patience and compassion as you support and guide your dog through this vulnerable period of brain development.

20/03/2024

Adolescent brains are under construction! During adolescence, your dog's brain is replacing neural pathways. This is why they may seem to forget previous training they've had. Your dog is an adolencent from 6 months to 1.5-2yrs old. Adolescence is a time for patience, and re-teaching, NOT for pushing!

The prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in decision-making, is not fully developed during adolescence. This can look like a dog barking and lunging at something, becoming easily and frequently distracted, a lack of inhibition, and/or not listening to verbal cues as well as they once did.

If you’re feeling frustrated with your adolescent dog, take a breath and try to remember this is temporary. 😮‍💨

18/03/2024

18/03/2024

Welcome team Lennox! 💜

11/03/2024

Congrats team JJ!!! 🥳

08/03/2024

🙌🏼

📣Realistic Expectations!📣

Me when I give my dogs a stuffed animal: “I’m going to be picking up stuffing for the next week…😏”

Some people: “I can’t find anything that my dog doesn’t wreck.”

Some dogs may carry and toss around stuffed animals, which might mimic how PEOPLE think a dog should treat a stuffy (because that’s what human kids ⛹️‍♀️👶🏽 do with stuffies) BUT a lot of dogs LOVE to shred and chew on them! That’s absolutely normal and still a reason to keep buying them stuffies.

The purpose of the toy is to bring them joy and enrichment….Also an example of AGENCY. If one particular dogs enjoys carrying it around, great! If the next dog sees the toy and is totally stoked about shredding, that’s great as well!

I will tell clients who have dogs who like to shred to hit up garage sales or thrift stores and buy cheap ones and let them shred! Don’t waste your time buying expensive “chew proof,” toys (let’s be real, I’ve never found one for real chewers anyways)!

07/03/2024

Snuggle squad! Co-sleeping with your pup isn't just cozy, it has benefits for both of you!
👉Yes, even if your dog struggles with separation related anxiety!

🐶Let your furry friend cuddle in guilt free 💜

27/02/2024

Love this. Everything Wendy puts out there blends so seamlessly with everything I preach 🙌🏼 This is something I have been stewing on as I’ve noticed this phenomenon with my own dogs but couldn’t put it into words that I was happy with. So excited to get her new book at the end of May 🥰

This relationship we have with our dogs should be two-sided yet so many have a very one-sided relationship with their companions. They either don’t see dogs in that way and hold on to old paradigms or they are just not sure what action to take to make it more equitable. I help all of my clients create a deeper two-way relationship with their dog. This is a big part of my initial consultation for separation anxiety work.
Dogs bring so much joy to our lives. We owe some of that back to them.

Synchrony can benefit our relationships with people and with dogs.

20/02/2024

Where can you add kindness and generosity to your interactions with your dog? Below are some ideas!

* Exercise patience when your dog is engaged in species-specific behaviors like sniffing and playing.
*  Honor their requests for exercise, outdoor time, and other enriching activities whenever schedules allow. 
* Learn about their body language.
* Respect their boundaries around handling.
* Practice empathy and try to understand things from the dog’s perspective.
* Avoid punishment and never be the source of fear.
* Celebrate their unique personality!

17/02/2024

The struggle is real 😂

thanks, Person Who’s Had Dogs For 25 Years

—

Meme: two still frames from the Simpsons.

Frame one: From the back of school bus, Nelson and Bart compete in a race by rolling an apple and an orange down the aisle. Nelson and Bart and labelled with the text, “Qualified separation anxiety pros.” The orange is labelled with the text, “systematic desensitization,” and the apple with “veterinary collaboration.”

Frame two: Ralph Wiggum joins the race with a banana. Ralph is labelled with the text, “Some guy on facebook,” and the banana is labelled, “Nothing In Life Is Free.”

04/02/2024

27/01/2024

Check out our newest testimonials! As a small niche buisness we are ever grateful for reviews from our lovely clients 💕 We wouldn't be where we are today without your support!

Send us a message or visit our website to schedule your free separation anxiety discovery call!

25/01/2024

I call this a Margorrito! 🌯

23/01/2024

It can be really difficult seeing other people's wins and milestones when your dog has just started their journey or is struggling to reach a particular milestone.

Never forget, every dog’s journey is different.
We all have different circumstances, different levels of support and different starting points.

Not everyone's training journey starts the same and not everyone's end goals are the same. And that's ok.

Take your time.
It's not a race.

22/01/2024

Welcome Margo!! 💕