Pawsitively Genius Dog Training

15/07/2023

06/03/2022

Resharing another oldie but goodie!

One of the most common complaints I get from puppy owners... my dog jumps on people!

A lot of the "old school" methods of teaching can be really damaging, both to your relationship with your dog and to their confidence with people.

I wish there was a magic wand, but the closest I've got is practice, practice, practice... practice sits for pets, practice 4 on the floor, practice coming and going over and over. Recruit friends to help.

Your dog will learn and generalize the behaviour; I promise!

03/03/2022

Some sincerely excellent kids and dogs advice from Jim Crosby on the Behavior Vets podcast (which I highly recommend if you don't already listen!). 🎧

03/03/2022

Resharing because I've said it before and I'll say it again: learning dog body language saves lives!

Newest in my doggy body language series... did you know lip licks can be an early stress sign to watch for in dogs?

Becoming body language experts means we can respect our dogs and their comfort zones and choices, thus keeping them out of situations they are uncomfortable with.

Dogs who are ignored when they offer early warning signals will escalate their communication (see: canine ladder of aggression) and can eventually lead to biting. A dog who has learned their early communication is ignored will stop trying polite communication and jump to what works. Learning to understand what they're saying to us without them resorting to biting can literally save their lives.

01/03/2022

I've suspected Athena is struggling with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction for a while and today finally decided to take some medical steps to help her (whereas prior I've been focusing on management in the home, lifestyle changes, and enrichment). 🧠

We are going to trial selegiline - it's on order for us, since it isn't commonly used, so stay tuned for updates on that - but for today we get her Cognadin by . 💊

While it isn't one I saw mentioned in book "Remember Me?" (which I sincerely can't recommend enough) since I can't get them here, it does have the same active ingredient (phosphatidylserine), so I'm optimistic 🤞

Watch this space for updates on our journey with CCD and check my blog for an article on living with senior dogs 🥰

27/02/2022

Got your attention? 😅

Thought I've had lately: does anyone have any questions for me?

About training, behaviour, tools, tricks, methods, me, my dogs... anything! 🐕

I've been thinking I could do Q&As on here (either written or make short videos).

My goal is and has always been to make dog training and behavioural support accessible and I thought this might be an easy free way to help.

So, got a question? 🤔🤔

Drop it in the comments! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

24/02/2022

Enrichment doesn't have to be an expensive puzzle toy or structured activity. It can be anything interesting and novel for your dog!

Today's enrichment? Tug with fun, fallen foliage on our walk.

What did your dog get to do today that was enriching?? ❤️

08/02/2022

Does your dog like catching snowballs? It's one of Athena's favourite winter activities ❄️ ⛄️

17/01/2022

Happy 100th to ! Of course I'll participate in the

$5 isn't a lot but it is when it is multiplied! I know money is tight for a lot of people right now so if you can't donate, don't feel bad, but if you can, do! Small steps from a lot of people are worth more than big steps from a few ♡

Donate to the or of your choice... for me, this time, it's

Not sure where to donate? I can vouch for them!

Happy snow day everyone ❄

07/01/2022

Survival tip for living with a senior dog (or puppy): counter condition yourself! 🔔

My senior rarely sleeps through the night anymore. She has me up taking her out to p*e - or just fussing - at least once, often more, every night. 💤

To stop myself from getting resentful or irritable with the lack of sleep and cold in the middle of the night, I keep sweets in the house... while she p*es at 2am, I get to eat something delicious 😋

My emotional response of annoyance has changed to acceptance and, dare I say, sometimes happiness. Thanks Pavlov!

And yes, that is a chocolate covered cheesecake bite. 🤤 🤤

31/12/2021

2021 was a year of lots of big changes for me... and one of those was a real effort to be more "social". So to those of you who see this, follow, or enjoy my content... thank you. And happy new year! See you in 2022.
#2021 #2022

26/12/2021

Now that Christmas is over I can fiiiinallyyyyy share this beautiful stained glass piece I had custom made for my partner for Christmas! Moshi died last fall and has memorialized her so well for us.

Keeping this one a secret was so hard 🤐

25/12/2021

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season, whatever you celebrate. Hope you're all enjoying some time with family (human and four-legged).

14/12/2021

100% this. Such a tough phase for a lot of us! I always remind my clients: all the work you put in now will pay off in a year. Just be patient and keep the faith!

When people get a new dog, everyone talks about puppyhood, the does and don’ts, how to deal with specific puppy issues. People will prepare themselves for the first few challenging months with a puppy.

The mess, chaos and sleepless nights are generally overshadowed by the cute fluffy cuddles and the expectation that it won’t last for too long. Your eager little puppy will start to master toilet training, sleeping through the night, basic skills and even recall, but then adolescence hits.

For some it hits like a bus, but very few people talk about adolescence.

Adolescence is a really hard and trying time for both dog and owner. For owners, it can be really frustrating, as your puppy that was making loads of progress can suddenly stop, and even regress in some areas. Some of the behaviours that were adorable as a tiny puppy, become annoying and rude by a dog who is a lot bigger. With the largest number of dogs being placed into rescue during adolescence.

From roughly 5-6 months until around 18-24 months, your puppy is no longer a puppy, but rather a teenager. This can look very different in different dogs. Some may become more anxious, or fearful, some more reactive to things, others over confident, and for some lucky owners their dog will remain easy going and steady.

For the dog, adolescence is a really difficult period to navigate through, there are so many changes with hormones, genetic drives, even the brain structure and a second fear period, all happening simultaneously.

Hormones play a bit part into the development and sexual maturity of a dog. For female this may be a season and potential subsequent phantom pregnancy, this may result in dramatic behaviour changes. For males, they have the highest level of testosterone in their body, than at any other time in their life, even adulthood, and you may find your adolescent male starts to become more aggressive particularly toward other entire male dogs.

You may find that certain innate behaviours get “switched on” and become more easily triggered. So with Collies you may find that your dog starts to herd more things, and becomes more reactive to things.

Your dogs behaviour may also change, there are a number of behaviours associated with adolescence such as:
- Increased independence, some may label this stubbornness.
- Decreased responsiveness to trained cues
- Increased impulsivity
- Increase in energy
- Gender specific behaviours (i.e scent marking)
- Exacerbation of existing patterns (i.e Destructive behaviour, reactivity, fear based behaviours, excessive barking, compulsive behaviours etc)

During adolescence the brain structure changes and develops into a mature brain. New neural pathways are made, and others are lost, even ones that you use regularly, infuriatingly. Your dog may become more reactive, the reason for this is that the inhibitory neurons of the amygdala don’t fully mature until the end of adolescence, these help to dampen down emotional responses. You may find that they become more sensitive to things, and remember negative things more than previously, this is because extinction memory is impaired during this period, which means your dog is more likely to create fear memories due to a bad experience. The training you do with your dog may feel like you’re taking one step forward, but two steps back, this is because there is a decrease in the communication between the frontal cortex and amygdala, this is a key component for skills training.

It is important to try have patience and compassion, for both your dog and yourselves, as you guide and support your dog through this sensitive developmental period.

12/12/2021

ICYMI, here is my hot take on crates...
http://pawsitivelygenius.com/the-crate-controversy/

Do you crate train? *How* did you crate train? When do you use your crate?

27/11/2021

Lots of big feels on this one.

Text reads:

Can we normalize honesty in rescues? We can work through a lot of challenges in dogs... if we are prepared and know what they are. "Loves food" shouldn't mean "resource guarder". "Loves their people" shouldn't mean "separation anxiety". Use the words, not euphamisms. Forewarned is forearmed. Don't set them up for failure.

25/11/2021

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Did You Know that dogs are not really den animals? Wolves, Coyotes and other close cousins to the wolf, are not den animals either. At least not in the sense of living in dens daily.

🐾A den animal is an animal that rests in an underground hole in the ground or small burrows at all inactive times.

🐾A den is defined as: The lair of a wild usually predatory animal. (Merriam-Webster)

🐾 Animals from the canis branch (dogs and wolves) of the canidae family tend to only use dens for times when the family group can't travel. This is only when they are rearing puppies over a period of 8-10 weeks every year.

🐾 Some animals from the vulpes branch (foxes) of the canidae family occasionally take up residence in dens underground outside of puppy rearing.

🐾Even though they generally don't live in dens, all these species will take shelter during inactive times. These shelters can range from anything from piles of firewood, under fallen trees, or in tight bushes, to under floor boards, in dumpsters, or abandoned cars for animals living closer to humans.

🐾These types of shelters all have in common that the animal itself is in control of when to leave. Shelters will also often have more than one exit, to avoid getting trapped.

🐾All dogs do enjoy cozyness though, so you will often find a dog snuggled up i a tight space or under covers. This generally has to do with the dog seeking a comfortable spot to rest, and who would't enjoy a pile of pillows?

🐾If you have a crate, this can act as a shelter. But only if it is left open for the dog to decide what she wants. When it gets closed, it ceasees to resemble a den or any other voluntary shelter.

🐾Always make sure your dog feels safe and can take a break from life in as many places as possible in your home. Any place the dog deems safe can be used, not just dog beds and crates.

🐾Resources:
http://westernwildlife.org/gray-wolf-outreach-project/biology-behavior-4/

https://slideplayer.com/slide/13025175/

https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/animals/article/red-fox-dens-earths-resting-sites

https://whyy.org/segments/is-a-dog-crate-really-a-den-how-this-very-american-practice-took-off/?fbclid=IwAR3SQ-yZUUE8Dbp5NCp7teVTs2CoUdv4LMoiCdDL563DHgb1RqDGlQ3ISM8

http://pawsitivelygenius.com/the-crate-controversy/

11/11/2021

Alright guys!

Here's an AWESOME opportunity. My friend Michelle Stern of Pooch Parenting if offering a workshop online on introducing a new dog to families.

It's only $27.

The best part? If you use my link (please do!!), 30% of that goes to Niagara Dog Rescue , who I volunteer with in a training and behavioural support capacity and who recently helped my Scooby (who you're familiar with if you follow this page) find his forever home.

Sign up! I guarantee great content. Share! Anyone, anywhere can take the class and if they use this link, Niagara Dog Rescue still gets the percentage.

Win win win... rescue dogs win, New families win with a great and educational learning experience, and NDR wins with money to fund their endless dogs.

Here is our custom link ⬇️⬇️⬇️:
https://ndr--poochparenting.thrivecart.com/new-family-dog/

Go, go, go!

08/11/2021

New blog post up; "Preparing for a Good Death with your Pet". Something no one wants to think about but everyone has to think about.

http://pawsitivelygenius.com/preparing-for-a-good-death-with-your-pet/

Do you have death care and aftercare planned for your pet? How will you - or do you already - like to remember pets who have died?

Moshi, our Frenchie, died last fall. We talk about her all the time. We have lots of pictures up. We scattered her ashes at her favourite beach.

I'm slowly starting to think about Athena's death. Pretending it won't happen doesn't prevent it.

Share your stories, if you're up for it, in the comments. Tell me about pets you've had that have died. Tell me what they loved. Tell me their quirks. Tell me your favourite memories with them.

07/11/2021

Scooby is off with his new moms to live his best life ❤

He chose them over me within minutes for play, pets, kisses, and treats. We went for a walk and they all did great.

Happy crying (with a squeak of sadness) over here 😭❤

Niagara Dog Rescue

26/10/2021

The weather today is pretty miserable...which means it is a great day for an adventure somewhere busier and more "urban" than Scooby (who is reactive) normally goes.

He had a great time sniffing around and exploring and taking in the sights without me having to worry too much about things like offleash dogs, high traffic, kids playing, etc.

26/10/2021

Fully recovered from his neuter and officially ready to find his perfect humans!!

Got space in your heart and home for this lovebug who is a bit reactive to strangers but an absolute joy once you're one of "his" people?

Apply for Scooby today! ❤⬇️⬇️

https://niagaradogrescue.com/Project/scooby-20211019-04/

Can't be his home but think he's great? Share! Let's find his people.

Niagara Dog Rescue

Scooby (20211019-04) From: Windsor, ON Name: Scooby (20211019-04) Weight 65lbs Age: approx. 10 months Gender: male Spay/neuter: yes Breed: German Shepherd Colour: Black & Tan Neck size: Large Chest size for harness: Large Height from top of head: Length form nose to tail: Crate size: XL Good with wo...

16/09/2021

Someone needs to adopt this dog because he's goofy and perfect and loving and silly and deserves a real family of his own 🥰

And yes, okay, he can be reactive to strangers, but I can help you with that, it's manageable, and he is muzzle trained!

And the sooner he gets a family of his own, the sooner he can start learning to trust people and gain confidence again ❤

Scooby is 8 months old, and up to date on vaccines.

13/09/2021

Dog trainers (generally) love enrichment! I see it reducing problem behaviours, increasing confidence, increasing welfare (especially in the shelter environment), not to mention it is just fun! There's even evidence that it reduces stress and can slow cognitive decline.

In this pic, Scooby is playing with the wobbler, but I have a whole article of my favourite easy food based enrichment toys (🔗link in bio!).

Give it a try and report back - does your dog enjoy it? Seem happier?

31/08/2021

I swear!

Yes, especially in behavioural cases, there are important nuances (timing, threshold, desensitization vs counter conditioning), but it doesn't have to be complicated.

Quiet, calm exposure is better than dramatic barking and lunging (like you might see on TV with some training) and day... and more effective!

Yes, we aren't always perfect. Sometimes I have a new dog and I don't know their threshold yet and misjudge. Sometimes the environment or situations sneak up on us. Sometimes our dog is having a "bad day", or we are! Life happens.

But overall? Good behavioural training doesn't look dramatic.

30/08/2021

What does "2 week decompression period" for a foster dog look like? What does management look like? I made a quick vid to go with my most recent blog post!

https://youtu.be/fjyU_jUJZEY

PS. How cute is Scooby?!?

http://pawsitivelygenius.com/another-day-another-dog-must-haves-in-fostering/

Today marks one week since Scooby was surrendered to me. Here's how I manage the household!

25/08/2021

http://pawsitivelygenius.com/another-day-another-dog-must-haves-in-fostering/

One of my biggest and first concerns when I have a new foster coming is that I don’t know this dog. I will (usually) get a history from the owners before they surrender their dog to me, but it isn’t ever perfect; sometimes people lie, sometimes people just don’t know. This means that, at least...

24/08/2021

Not the best pic but some food for thought... safety first with dangerous dogs.

While I don't love the label, what I do know to be true is this: my new foster, Scooby, has bitten people before.

He has been with me just 24 hours now.

Socialization is the name of the game for now... remembering that socialization isn't just exposure; it's controlled exposure (icymi, I cover this in my "Raising Confident Puppies" article you can find on ). Controlled for both Scooby's safety and the public at this point.

Scooby and I, over the past 24 hours, have been doing what I've nicknamed 'socialization sprints'. He has a quiet room to himself with food, water, an antler chew, and a bed to decompress. And we've been doing 20 minute or less "sprints" or trying to things and exposure every couple hours. So 20 minutes of sniffing in the yard, break in his room. 20 minutes playing free in the house with Ötzi (luckily dog aggression isn't one of Scooby's challenges), break in his room. Etc.

Our most recent sprint was a walk through the vineyard next to my house. It's very quiet, and little to no chance of running in to anyone. Lots of smells to explore. But still: safety first. Scooby came with a collar that's far too big, so he borrowed one of my spare harnesses to walk on. Then we added a slip lead as backup (just in case!). Soon enough, we'll start conditioning a muzzle too.

He had a great time on his walk ❤

Stay tuned for more foster updates!

23/08/2021

19/08/2021

New article live on Doghouse written by yours truly.

Getting a puppy or just got one? This one is for you!

Are you looking for pre-puppy advice? Could you do with some extra advice going forward with your new furry friend? Check out: Raising Confident Puppies!