On The Mark Training Solutions

24/03/2024

Here is an amazing resource from a training colleague out of Texas. Her training business occasionally offers FREE online workshops for pet parents and the recordings are available afterwards for those who couldn't be available for the live option. Give this a look to see if there are any that interest you!

https://www.everydogaustin.org/free-workshops?fbclid=IwAR2D-Z9VXe8tCpn60HXQYRo0ZiDGhvGLfQk1N1HFCxJcGSMfTRHeTgDr8mM

Looking for a new way to advance your pup’s obedience and behavior skills? Join Every Dog Behavior and Training's FREE webinars brought to you by local and national (and international!) dog training experts. Register for upcoming webinars now!

27/10/2022

Too good not to share!!

10/10/2022

Important knowledge for pet owners.

Watch Out for Birch Sugar in Foods❗

If you see the ingredient “birch sugar” on a food label, keep it out of your pet’s reach. ❌ This ingredient is the same thing as xylitol, a sugar alcohol sweetener that’s toxic to pets. If consumed, xylitol can lead to a sudden release of insulin, followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), triggering vomiting, loss of consciousness and seizures in dogs (cats appear less sensitive). 🆘🐕

Xylitol may also be referred to as “birch sap” or “wood sugar,” so keep an eye out for these ingredients on labels as well.

Read today’s free pet health blog to learn more about the dangers of xylitol to pets.

Here are more products that contains xylitol: https://bit.ly/3M8TgN4

01/07/2022

Fireworks are a well-known tradition of the Fourth of July festivities. They are beautiful and exciting to many. BUT, while they are fun and fascinating to us, they are loud and FRIGHTENING to animals. For many of them, the FLIGHT response kicks in (i.e. the need to escape) and the Fourth Of July holiday, along with the days surrounding it, becomes a time when more pets go missing than any other time of the year. This is true of both dogs AND cats.

Don’t let your pet become one of the statistics. Read the tips below to protect your pet and save yourself from the heartache of a lost pet.

FIREWORKS SAFETY TIPS FOR PETS:

1- LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME. Please don’t take your pets out to picnics, parties and celebrations with you. Those things are fun for us but can be stressful to our pets. A stressed pet is more likely to react by trying to escape.

2- CREATE A SAFE PLACE for your pet at home (inside). This can be a room, in a crate if already crate-trained, etc, with comfortable bedding, a favorite items, etc. Choose a location with the fewest windows to help block sights and shield from sound. It’s best to set this up and help them get used to it prior to when it’s needed.

INSIDE is recommended as it’s common for pets left outside to run off or escape from pens and fenced yards. A terrified pet will go to extraordinary lengths to escape, sometimes even injuring themselves.

3- TAKE MEASURES TO MINIMIZE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS, Use music or other sounds (radio, TV, play lists, etc) to help block noise. Many folks use soothing/calming sounds but I’ve also heard of some people using rock music to help disguise the sound of fireworks. This, too, is probably something best to get your pet used to BEFORE you need it. It’s also important to use these sounds at “non-scary” times as well. That way, the sounds don’t start to predict scary stuff, which can inadvertently make the sounds become scary themselves.

4- OCCOUPY YOUR PET’S MIND. Use treat dispensing toys and enrichment activities to keep your pet busy. A stuffed Kong, a bone, DIY puzzle type games. You can google and find some great enrichment ideas. I LOVE Kong Wobblers and they have them for both dogs and cats! Folks often think about enrichment for dogs, but cats can benefit too! Even things like playing with catnip toys, a toy on the end of a pole/string that you drag around, etc. . And of course, doing some reward-based training is a great way to keep your pet busy while scary things are happening.

5- TAKE YOUR PETS OUT TO POTTY AND FOR WALKS BEFORE DARK. Over the years I’ve heard so many stories of people out walking their dog, fireworks or sparklers go off nearby, the dog spooks, pulls away and takes off. Then, you’ve either got a lost dog with no collar/ID or a dog who is dragging a leash behind and risks getting hung up somewhere.

6- MAKE SURE TO HAVE A COLLAR AND CURRENT ID ON YOUR PETS. If your pet is chipped, check the database to make sure you have registered your contact info and that it is CURRENT. Cats should have breakaway collars on for safety. **If you don’t have an ID tag on your pet’s collar, I recently saw a suggestion of looping painter’s tape around the collar, bringing the two ends together, smashing it together so there’s a long piece, and then writing your phone number on that long piece.

7- CONSIDER STAYING HOME WITH YOUR PET. Some pets just need that TLC from their person. Terror is as real to our pets as it is to us. Think about something that terrifies you, then imagine for a moment that you are home alone, enduring that fear. They may still be afraid with you there, but one, you can implement a lot of the things mentioned here because you’re home and 2- you can comfort them. Some pets have been known to be so terrified that they have squeezed through bars on crates or jumped through glass windows. If you're home, you can help to ensure your pet's safety.

BTW ….. DO NOT be afraid to comfort your pet when they are afraid! Behavior can be reinforced, but FEAR is an emotion, not a behavior. We don’t make fear worse by showing love and comfort! Imagine if you were in a frightening situation, scared half to death, and a loved one wouldn't comfort you because they might make your fear worse? Sounds silly doesn't it? (I’m happy to provide more info to anyone who is interested.)

8- HAVE A “FIREWORKS PARTY” for your pet. Have the tastiest treat you can think of, something your pet doesn’t normally get (boiled chicken, hotdog, cheese, etc) and just feed tiny bits of it to your pet during the fireworks. If they’ll move around, you can toss little bits for your pet to “chase”. Otherwise, just sit with your pet, put on your favorite movie, and feed tiny bits, every few moments. (Worried about reinforcing the fear?? See the paragraph right above #8. 😊 )

I hope that you and your pet find these Tips helpful and that the both of you have a safe, fun, and fear-free Fourth Of July!! And if you're ever in need of training, feel free to reach out!

02/05/2022

Unfortunately I'm having to put the Stress Awareness and Reduction series that I'm doing on hold. One of my horses has been quite sick for a few days and he is taking a lot of time and emotional energy. I always prioritize my own animals and my clients and their animals so I will resume FB posts as soon as I can!

27/04/2022

Post #3

Not all dogs can be as chill at the window as this girl is. In fact, most aren’t. This sweet girl actually belongs to a friend of mine. She’s a “country dog” and the most activity she sees outside her window is probably the occasional deer or bunny. Dogs who live in towns and cities, however, are often bombarded with stimuli passing outside of their windows: people walking, bike, cars, kids, people with dogs, delivery trucks, etc. That’s a lot of stimulation, even for calm, non-reactive dogs. If you have a dog who is reactive (barking, growling) and perhaps feels a need to “protect” it’s property, or even a dog who is just overly exciteable, it can be a recipe for hyper-arousal and chronic stress. As indicated in Post #1, chronic stress can result in behavior problems and health issues and can generally decrease quality of life.

Something as simple as placing decorative, vinyl window film on all the windows/glass doors that your dog can access can greatly reduce your dog’s stress. One of my client dogs comes to mind when I think of this topic. When I first met her, she was having reactive episodes 5-6 times per day inside the house, barking at any stimuli outside the windows, racing from window to window to see where “the thing” went, and contributing to hyper-alertness (on edge all the time). After her owners placed the window film on the windows, her reactivity inside the house dropped to 1-2 time per day almost immediately, mostly triggered by sounds and not sights. Oh, how much calmer that girl must have felt internally!

Decorative, vinyl window film can be purchased at places like Lowes and Home Depot (and I’m sure Amazon as well). Because it’s vinyl, there is no adhesive. It’s easy on and easy to remove. There are a variety of designs available which can really add beauty to the room. Some even look like stain glass! Placing it only at the height that your dog can reach (even while standing on hind legs) blocks the dog’s visibility but allows full light to come through the upper part of the window.

Such a simple, inexpensive and typically very effective way to reduce daily stress for your dog!

27/04/2022

Post #2

While animals can’t talk, they are actually good communicators. They use their body language and their behavior to communicate, which unfortunately, can be difficult for us humans to understand. This post will focus on .

Sometimes it’s pretty obvious when our pet is stressed and uncomfortable, like when the pet is trembling, hiding, or growling. There are many more subtle signs, however, and if we can recognize those signs, we can intervene earlier and potentially eliminate the escalation of stress, as well as the potential for stress-induced aggression.

For both dogs and cats, we want to look at the eyes, ears, tail, mouth, and position of the body in the moment. Additionally, we want to pay attention to the pet’s movement and their behavior in response to whatever is happening in the moment. Considering overall behavior and health issues can help identify the presence of chronic stress. I’m going to post some resources below that will provide good information on how to recognize acute and chronic stress in both dogs and cats.

I want to take a moment to highlight some of the more subtle and confusing stress signals in dogs. A look away, panting, a yawn, a body shake (the thing dogs do after a bath) can all be signs of stress in the dog. So can scratching, sniffing the ground, rolling over for a “belly rub”, and licking the air, a person, another dog, or itself. Now I know you are thinking “Those are normal dog things! Does that mean all dogs are stressed?”. Well, yes, probably all dogs have stress at least some of the time, and you’re right that those things can be very normal dog things that having nothing at all to do with stress. The key here is looking at the WHOLE picture, which includes body language (ears, eyes, tail, etc) plus behavior plus the context.

For example, if it’s 90 degrees outside and your dog is panting, it make sense that the dog is probably hot. However, if it’s 40 degrees and the dog is panting, your dog may be stressed. The likelihood of that increases if his ears are also down and the tail is tucked – and it’s even greater if he’s also at the vet. SO – body language (head to tail) + behavior + context will give you the best idea of whether or not your dog is stressed. The same is true for our feline friends, though in my experience, they tend to have a smaller range of stress signals.

Please check out the links below and please share this post to your pet loving friends. Even for folks who don’t own a dog, this information is helpful because dogs are everywhere these days. We can reduce the incidences of dog bites if we educate people about stress in dogs. I also have a full list I have compiled of dog body language that I’m happy to share if anyone wants to request it. 😊

Stay tuned for in the coming days!

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Dog Body Language / Stress Signals Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siy0eog48ys&t=1s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bstvG_SUzMo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg

Dog Decoder App https://www.dogdecoder.com/ This app helps you to identify body language and its meaning.

This is a FREE course on dog body language. https://dogknowledge.thinkific.com/courses/dog-body-language

Recognizing and Reducing Stress in Cats:

https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/fraidy-cat-how-to-recognize-signs-of-feline-fear-anxiety-and-stress/

https://felineengineering.com/blog/stress-reduction-in-cats/

Cat body language

https://felineengineering.com/catbodylanguage/

26/04/2022

Post #1

The first step to reducing / changing anything is AWARENESS, right? So, this first post in thisseries is going to focus on what stress is and WHY we should make an effort to minimize it in our pets’ lives.

The definition of stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from an adverse or demanding circumstance”. It involves feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope with some type of pressure.

I think it’s probably safe to say that we have ALL experienced stress at one time or another. It’s equally safe to say that our pets have too. In fact, stress is a pretty normal part of life, and it’s hard to avoid it all together. However, ff any of us (including our pets) experience too much stress, it can take both a physical and psychological toll. Chronic stress can even cause health problems and I’ll be posting some links to articles about the effects of stress on our pets’ health in the comment section.

“Arousal” and stress are closely related. The definition of arousal is “physical and mental activation”. It means being alert, on edge, and/or excited and involves mechanisms like an increase in heart rate and breathing. and the release of brain chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol. Examples of pets living in a high state of arousal are dogs who spend a lot of time barking out of windows or on walks, and cats living in a household where they are bullied and have to be hypervigilant for self-protection. Even dogs who get hyper-excited about every little thing and have difficulty being calm/relaxed are likely to live in a high state of arousal. Arousal can cause stress and stress can result in increased arousal.

Similarly, anxiety and fear cause stress. Pets who have separation anxiety or have noise sensitivities tend to live in a chronic state of stress.

Do any of these descriptions sound like one or more of your pets? If so, then I’m glad you’re here! Even if your pet is a “mellow fellow” and doesn’t seem to get easily stressed, there are probably still ways you can help make certain things (like a trip to the vet) less stressful. Please follow the daily posts I’ll be making for the next 7-10 days in the .

** Be sure to check out the links that I’ll post in the comment section below for some great articles on stress and its effects on our pets’ health. **

25/04/2022

Intro:
The month of April is National Stress Awareness month. While we typically think of stress as a human issue, our pets experience stress as well! I am very passionate about recognizing and reducing stress for my four-legged clients and also teaching their owners how to do the same! Stress is bad for our pets physically (including medically) and mentally just like it is for us. Fortunately there is A LOT we can do to reduce it.

SO, for the next week I'm going to post daily tips for reducing the stress in our pets' lives. I may even go a few days into May because I have so many tips to share and it's such an important topic!

Check back daily, and share this post with your friends so they can follow along as well!

🐾🐾💜💜🐾🐾

08/04/2022

Having a dog who is reactive (barking, growling, lunging or otherwise out-of-control) in public is HARD. It can be embarrassing. You get looks and whispers from others. (Some folks, unfortunately, aren't so silent about their opinions.) Your dog's behavior can leave you wondering what you've done wrong. 😔

Over the years I have worked with many reactive dog owners who have all expressed the emotional toll it takes, even though they love their dog immensely. They have been so thankful for my support in their journey of modifying their dog's behavior, OR, in simply learning to live with it.

I was thrilled when I ran across a post with "affirmations" for the reactive dog owner!! So if this is you, give these a read, and while you're at it, give yourself a pat on the back for 1- loving a reactive dog and 2- doing your BEST, 'cause you are. ❤️❤️

18/03/2022

I heard a saying a while back that "a child who is having a tantrum isn't *giving* the adult a hard time, the child is *having* a hard time." That's why he's/she's throwing a tantrum. The same can often be said of our pets. Emotions can play a large and important part of the behavior we see. This is a great article that talks about the role of emotions in behavior and training. It's the reason why I try to address the underlying issues in my training practice rather than just stopping unwanted behavior.

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/positive_training_basics/the-emotional-lives-of-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR2fQv6SRyVixjUDrGo97MKeWVwAwhnJejKXiTWbMaTW2ycCfnjal1fdsgc

Strong emotions often cause specific behaviors to happen, not by choice, but as a side effect of the emotion itself. For example, the emotion of fear often makes dogs pace back and forth, or bark, or pant and whine excessively, or jump up on their owners, clinging to them and looking for security.

17/03/2022

Happy St. PETricks's Day! (OK yea ... it's a little corny. 🤣 ) LOL. One of my dogs is a little trick-monster and LOVES to perform!. Just for fun, tell me what tricks your pet knows!

16/03/2022

I mean .... if ya have cats, ya know. Am I right?? 🐾🤣🐾

16/03/2022

One of the things I enjoy most about my profession is helping animals become more confident and comfortable with some of the tasks that **need** to be done, but often are scary and stressful for our pets. Take today for instance. The farrier came out to trim my horses' feet. My newest horse, Tucker (this guy right here) is a nervous guy. Since I got him over the winter - and since I'm a we**ie with cold weather - we haven't done much training together yet. Today was only his second time to have his feet done since he's been with me and he was nervous. He kept moving around and looking around, wide-eyed. So, I pulled out one of my simple "confidence games" (from a program called Control Unleashed), and started him on it while the farrier was working her magic. He immediately settled down and forgot all about what was happening. She was done in a jiffy. The more positive experiences like that he has, the more confident and comfortable he is going to become in general, but especially with having his feet trimmed.

16/03/2022

I didn't know that business pages were doing FB memories now. How cool! Doing doggie nails is one of my favorite activities to do (and train)! It doesn't have to be a struggle for either of you!

Sundays are "doggie pedicure" day at my house. It helps me to have a specific day set for this so I can keep my dogs' nails in really good shape. A dog's nails should be kept short enough that they don't touch the ground when the dog is standing / walking. Nails that are too long are uncomfortable because they push up into the sensitive nail bed when the dog walks. To compensate, the dog changes how they walk, which ultimately changes their weight distribution and their body structure.

The problem is MANY dogs don't like having their nails trimmed and/or owners are uncomfortable doing it themselves. It can be really hard to have a vet or groomer do the nails often enough (ideally, they should be done every 2 weeks minimum) so the average dog has nails that are way too long. Not having them done often enough and having them done by a non-family member can both make it harder for the dog in other ways too. Doing them infrequently means more of the nail has to be taken off. meaning getting closer to the sensitive area and risking cutting the quick. Having someone the dog doesn’t’ trust do the nails and often somewhere the dog finds stressful can make it a lot scarier for them. Lastly, when a scary thing is only done a couple times a year, there isn't enough opportunity for the dog to have good experiences with it, enabling them to become more comfortable with the procedure.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: Any dog can be taught to be comfortable with, and even LOVE, nail trims! My dogs see me get the nail grinder out and they all rush over for their trim. In fact, they all try to get into our designated position at the same time and I have to convey “ummmmm, not your turn yet!” 😊

Below is a great article to learn more about the importance of nail trims. Stay tuned for Trainer Tip Tuesday and I’ll share my best tips for helping your dog love nail trims!

That's Bitsy in the photo op below taking her turn. After a lot of training, she loves to get her nails done! NOTE: Getting nails that short was done over time with a specific process to get the "quick" to recede. A dog's nails should NEVER just be cut this short as you can cause a lot of harm to the dog.

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/nail-clipping/the-importance-of-clipping-dogs-nails/

14/02/2022

On The Mark Training Solutions wishes you and your furry friends a Happy Valentine's Day! Share your furry Valentine's in the comments!

01/01/2022

As both a licensed therapist and a Fear-Free Certified animal trainer, helping people and pets have reduced fear, anxiety and stress in their lives and teaching them improved coping skills is my #1 priority. Fear, anxiety and stress take the joy out of things, can actually affect health and reduce quality of life, even for our pets.

That's why I so unapologetically promote positive training methods and discourage the use of punishment and tools that cause discomfort or distress. Positive reinforcement feels GOOD and promotes happy feelings. Punishment doesn't feel good and can cause increased fear, anxiety and stress (unnecessarily!), in our pets.

In 2022 I plan to offer more positive training tips on this page to help you help your pets!

01/01/2022

And for the cat lovers out there, this is an oldie but a goodie! Happy New Year's Eve!

01/01/2022

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Have fun and be safe!

21/12/2021

Check out the post below! How's that for an absolutely BEAUTIFUL story!!

I have always had a love for, and been drawn to, senior dogs. I have adopted many over the years. About 10 or so years ago, I did the same as in this story. I contacted the Australian Shepherd rescue in my state and told them I wanted to adopt the oldest dog they had. I had perused Petfinder.com for the past year and was heart broken at how many senior Aussies were in rescue. (Aussies are my "breed of choice". I knew when I was ready to adopt again, that I wanted an OLD DOG. I remember being disappointed when they told me the oldest they had was 10. I went to visit him (I think his name was Jack at the time) and as soon as I saw him, I remember thinking "this guy is only TEN???". There was no way. He had a hard time laying down and getting back up. His teeth had the old dog look. He had "old dog" eyes. I was actually THRILLED to think he was older and I immediately said yes. He was a weird dude and got more so with age .... but I loved my Nigel (as he came to be called). He was super regal and distinguished and needed a name to fit. (I don't even know WHERE I came up with Nigel. LOL.) I only had Nigel for close to 3 years, but man, it was 3 years of total and mutual adoration and I have no regrets. After all, he deserved to be loved and cherished the same as any other homeless dog.

SO - consider adding an OLD DOG (or cat!) to your home and your heart. It's important to make sure you can afford the expense, as they do require more vet care with age, but that's true of ANY dog or cat.

06/12/2021

Adorable example of positive reinforcement training! This is the result of several stages of training, but it just goes to show that you can train all kinds of animals to do all kinds of things using rewards instead of punishment. Reward-based training creates a fun, pleasant experience whereas, punishment isn't much fun for anyone.

31/10/2021

While Halloween festivities, "fright night" and "spooky" things may be fun & games for us humans, there's nothing fun or enjoyable for our pets who live with fear. Fortunately, there are many things that can be done to help minimize or eliminate their fear and also to improve their coping skills, to engage their cooperation and to help them feel more at ease and relaxed. These goals can be accomplished with the use of positive reinforcement, desensitization, and counter-conditioning which are all gentle and positive training techniques. SO - if you have a dog, cat, or horse who lives with one or more of the following fears:

* fear of other animals or fear of unfamiliar people,
* fear of being left alone,
* fear of car rides or fear of being crated,
* fear of baths or grooming
* fear of vet visits
* fear of farrier visits or hoof care
* fear of having their nails trimmed,
* fear of ear drops, eye drops or other medication being given,
.. Then there IS help for them (and you).

26/10/2021

22/09/2021

Happy Fall Y'all!!

19/09/2021

I occasionally like to share non-training things that I think might help a pet or their family. I've not personally used these but I've talked to a couple of people who have, and there are a couple of people in the comments of the original post who said they had good success with them. Of course, it's important to keep dog's toenails well trimmed for stability, but these may provide additional support for those senior fur-babies.

Senior dog advice from trusted veterinary experts

16/09/2021

My favorite jobs have always been the ones where my boss was kind, clear and firm with expectations but also fair, and where my efforts were acknowledged, verbally or even with bonuses, time off, getting to go home early, or what have you. (Staff pizza parties were always pretty cool too. 😊 ) Those are the bosses that I liked the most and who I had the most respect for.

The jobs and bosses that I absolutely liked the least (and where I didn't stay with long) were the ones where the environment was punitive. You've probably had a job like that, where your boss focused on your mistakes? Where you never got a "great job!" yet the criticism seemed constant??

A GOOD leader knows how to lead gently, rather than with a "heavy hand". He/she knows how to motivate the staff with positivity instead of frustration, criticism, and punitive measures. He/she knows that it’s important to give staff what they need to be successful and support them in getting there.

Becoming a good leader may mean having to learn new skills, as it takes some knowledge that not everyone has naturally. But FIRST, it requires making a CHOICE as to whether one wants to be a positive, supportive leader who gains respect because of how he/she treats employees - OR - wants to be that punitive, critical boss who commands compliance, even if that creates an unpleasant work environment and results in stressed out employees.

What does this have to do with training animals you might wonder?? Absolutely EVERYTHING. Because as pet owners and professional trainers, we have the exact same CHOICE to make. We can choose training methods that are kind and humane. We can have clear and firm expectations for our pets’ behavior, but also employ fairness and use gentle methods while seeing they are met. We can focus on teaching our pets what we want them TO DO and reward those things, rather than making them figure it out for themselves and punishing their mistakes in the process. We can break things down into smaller, easier steps and set up a supportive environment while they are learning. And we can promote a positive and fun learning environment that creates confidence, builds a stronger relationship AND results in better behavior!!

OR, we can be that other person.