Wag Wise Dog Coaching and Education

01/08/2024

Sometimes life throws you a curveball, takes you for a spin, to a crossroad, or brings you an unexpected surprise.

The last few days have been a whirlwind for me. My dad's health has taken a turn for the worse, so I traveled 'home' to support him and my mom.

As we make the most of the metaphorical 'last light of the day', I am taking a little break from social media.

Until I am back, find ways to fill your cup, take deep breaths, count your blessings and do something fun with your dog!

P.S. if you want to send me your goofy, cute or fun doggy pics, please do! There can never be too many!

23/07/2024

Did you know that Wag Wise is celebrating its 1st birthday next week? 🥳

It has been an amazing year doing the thing I love most: helping people and their dog(s) build a wonderful life together.

It is my dream to reach as many people as possible to help them learn more about dog behavior, emotions and body language.

And you can help with that by liking and sharing this post and inviting friends and family to follow me on social media!

Will you celebrate with me and help me, to help others?

18/07/2024

Tessa from Puzzle Dog is coming to Fredericton!

She has a few more spots available. I have already booked mine!

Check out the details in the post below!

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI: I hope you’re keeping cool this week 🥵

In the summer heat I don’t schedule any Sensory Rooms, but the schedule for (end of) August-October is ready and posted on the Puzzle Dog website!

The visual shows the dates for August and September; there are still plenty of spots available!

To book a spot please send me an email: [email protected]

Check the website for more dates and more info.

Hope to see you this fall!

15/07/2024

When you look at this picture, what thoughts go through your head?

Is your dog able to settle and rest? Or is your dog always looking for the next fun thing to happen?

Dogs need sleep and rest to help them cope with the world. A dog who does not get enough rest and sleep will get cranky and may express some behaviors that you may not appreciate.

Looking for ways to help settle your dog? Look no further! Download the free E-book with 3 tips on how to help settle your dog today!

https://wag-wise-dog-coaching-and-education.newzenler.com/f/3-tips-to-help-settle-your-dog-1

P.S. all tips are accompanied by a short video (links in the e-book).

12/07/2024

It is hot out there! 🔥

Looking for some tips on how to keep your dog cool and happy?

Sign up for the Wag Wise Summer Bootcamp and get ready for summer with your dog!

Today is the last day to take advantage of the 20% discount.

Take a sneak peek of the course here: https://wag-wise-dog-coaching-and-education.newzenler.com/courses/wag-wise-summer-bootcamp

Want in? Comment cooldog below or send me a DM and I will send you the discount code and sign up link!

08/07/2024

Puppy fever!!

We received a very happy message this morning from our breeder!

The two females had their puppies this weekend. One of them will be ours!

Time to get ready for an inquisitive little one!

07/07/2024

It is not too late to join the Wag Wise Summer Bootcamp!

The Bootcamp is a self-paced online course with everything you need to help summer make the best experience for you and your dog.

The Bootcamp consist of short videos, transcripts, bonus materials and a 1:1 online or phone session where you can ask me anything.

Your investment is only $25!

Sign up link in the comments. See you at Bootcamp!

01/07/2024

How are you keeping your (dog) cool this summer?

Could you use some help this Summer and are you curious what the Summer Bootcamp is all about?

Comment 'cooldog' below and I will send you all the details!

27/06/2024

Meet Lola!

Over the past few months I have been working with Lola, an almost 2-year old Australian Shepherd.

Lola lives in a busy household with 3 other dogs! Initially the focus of our work was to help settle Lola at home.

We did this by offering calming activities in the house, such as putting a lot of value on staying on her bed, disengagement games, sniffing games and games that require focus.

We then took it outside to work on walks. Lola does not always feel sure about people, dogs and things she meets on a walk. So we worked on techniques to help with recall and getting out of a situation, working at distance and check-ins.

https://youtu.be/D4O2KUKr98E?si=Sg-CkrrEtfUCdUSA

Great work Lola!

Over the past few months I have been working with Lola, an almost 2-year old Australian Shepherd. Lola lives in a busy household with 3 other dogs! Initially...

25/06/2024

How has the start of the summer been for you so far?

Are things a bit chaotic perhaps and are you craving some balance and harmony?

When we live with a dog that is a bit worried, excitable or finds it hard to settle, it is even more important to take good care of ourselves.

The better we are able to fill our own cup, and do the things that bring us joy, the better we will be able to cope with life in general and life with your dog in particular.

Your dog will sense if you are out of balance, or stressed, no matter how hard you may try to hide it.

If you see a change in your dog’s behavior, like more barking, more noise sensitivity, more lunging, take stock of the situation. Are you perhaps feeling stressed and out of balance?

What can you do for your own self care?

Could you use some help? Sign up for the Summer Bootcamp and make this summer the best one yet! Link in the comments below!

23/06/2024

Consent tests with your dog

When interacting with your dog, it is important to make sure your dog is happy to do so. You can ask your dog’s consent for activities, like going for a walk, play time, grooming and petting.

Consent tests are a great way to find out whether or not a dog wants to interact with you. If your dogs says no, you need to respect that!

You can for instance invite your dog to play with you by getting one of their favorite toys out. If the dog is interested and wants to engage with you and the toy, your dog has given consent.

You can ask your dog if they want to go for a walk with you. If they refuse to walk, they are telling you no.

The same goes for petting your dog. Let your dog come to you, and let them ask to be petted by you. Your dog may put their head in your hands or nuzzle your hand.

Initially use one hand, pet for a few seconds and stop. If your dog comes back for more, give them more, but always in small doses. Make sure your dog has every opportunity to move away from you if and when they have had enough.

In this video you can clearly see when Margot gives consent and when she does not!

https://youtu.be/97R3HxgxrOM

When interacting with your dog, it is important to make sure your dog is happy to do so. You can ask your dog’s consent for activities, like going for a walk...

21/06/2024

Join Ruby and me today! We will be live on the Welfare For Animals page at 10AM Mountain Time, 1PM Atlantic, 5PM in the UK and 6PM in Europe!

Hope you can join us!!

20/06/2024

🎉Registration is now open for the Wag Wise Summer Bootcamp! 🥳

Are you ready to make the most out of your summer with your dog? Join us at Bootcamp!

What is the Summer Bootcamp?

The Summer Bootcamp is a self-paced course that includes
🌞Videos
😎Transcripts
🎁Bonus material and
👩‍💻a 30-minute 1:1 session online or on the phone.

The value of this offering is $150, but available for you for $25!

As an added bonus, if you are signed up for my newsletter, you will receive 20% off! Not signed up yet for the newsletter? You still can! Head over to my website

Everyone who is signed up for my newsletter, will have received an email with a code you can use for your 20% off!

Ready to sign up? https://wagwisedogcoaching.com/wag-wise-summer-bootcamp

See you at Bootcamp!!

17/06/2024

🌞On June 20th I am launching the Wag Wise Summer Bootcamp!

😎The Summer Bootcamp is a self-paced course that includes videos, transcripts, bonus material and a 30-minute 1:1 online or on the phone.

🥳The value of this offering is $150, but available for you for $25!

🎁As an added bonus, if you are signed up for my newsletter, you will receive 20% off! Not signed up yet for the newsletter? You still can: https://wagwisedogcoaching.com/

💌Everyone who is signed up for my newsletter, will receive an email on Thursday with a code you can use for your 20% off!

😃Curious about this course? You can take a sneak peek as well and watch the welcome video. https://wag-wise-dog-coaching-and-education.newzenler.com/courses/wag-wise-summer-bootcamp

See you at Bootcamp!!

16/06/2024

Do you have a dog who finds it hard to settle?

Are you feeding your dog once or twice a day in a bowl?

Have you considered using different methods instead, like a filled Kong?

The use of a Kong helps with calmness, because of the shape of the Kong, your dog will need to lie down to get the food out and put their paw on it. Your dog will then be rewarded for his behavior (being calm, not barking) by the gradual release of food out of the Kong.

Getting the food out is also hard work and can keep your dog occupied for a good while. And with a bit of luck, they will be very tired afterwards and ready for a nap.

When you are first getting started with a Kong, don't make it too difficult; you can use dry kibble and treats first, because your dog first has to learn the principle of the Kong.

Once this goes well, you can make it a bit more difficult, by adding more sticky foods (like dog-safe peanut butter, natural yoghurt, sweet potato puree), and then you can add a further challenge by freezing the Kong.

You can fill the Kong with anything your dog likes!

Give it a try and let me know how this works for your dog!

13/06/2024

Next week I will be chatting with Ruby from Welfare For Animals about my upcoming presentation for in October!

We will be live on the Welfare For Animals page at 10AM MTN, 1PM AST or 6PM CET on June 21!

Hope you can join us (or watch the recording later!).

10/06/2024

A day in the life of a dog coach.....Monday fail edition 🤣😂

03/06/2024

Do you have a doorbell sensitive dog?

A doorbell sensitive dog is a dog reacts in an over-excited or over-aroused manner as soon as the doorbell rings, someone knocks on the door, a car pulls up at your house, footsteps are heard outside, the door handle moves, the door opens, verbal greetings are made and/or someone enters your house.

Your dog may bark, lunge or jump on people. Your dog may run around the house, unable to contain their excitement and pick up anything they find int heir mouth.
Or your dog may be worried about visitors and may try to defend their home and you.

Is this your dog?

Do you dread it when people come to your house, because your dog and you will be on edge and there will be chaos?

Are you looking for help with managing your doorbell sensitive dog? Yes, putting up a sign like this one is a great management technique, but there are other ways to work on greetings at the door!

Contact me if you would like to explore how we can work together!

01/06/2024

Does your dog play? Do you know how he likes to play?

Every dog has their own unique play style; some dogs like to play with other dogs by chasing them around, or by body slamming them. Others like to play with other dogs using their paws or mouths.

Some dogs prefer to play with their human, some like to play with a toy. And when it comes to toys, it may take a while to find the one(s) that interest your dog. Some dogs like squeaky toys, some like tug toys, or soft toys, or toys they need to chase, toys that move. There are so many options.

There are also dogs who don’t seem interested in play or who don’t seem to know how to play.

If a dog plays, it is a good indicator that he is feeling safe and happy.

You may also have noticed that your dog has play preferences, for instance, your dog may prefer to play in a specific part of your garden or house, or at specific time of day, or with a specific person or toy.

If your dog has played somewhere, you may see that your dog develops place preference for that environment.

Play is not just for fun! It has an important function!

⚽What does play do?

🧸Play helps the brain grow and mature

🤹Play changes the brain, it changes behavior and personality and helps your dog to develop social skills and to be better able to cope with changes in their environment.

📔Play promotes learning

💗Play helps to build a bond with your dog

☺️Play promotes a more relaxed and happy state of mind.

🥳Play inhibits fear and leads to place preference, which means that an animal will prefer places where they have played before and had a positive experience

This video of Alfie makes me happy and sad at the same time. It took quite a while for him to play and this was one of his favorite types of play. As soon as my husband got home , he would rush to the yard and get his squeeky ball.

How does your dog like to play?

22/05/2024

🐕MEET TEDDY! 🐶

Teddy is a 6-year old standard poodle. His guardian was looking for some help with making Teddy more calm and confident when meeting other dogs and people outside, reactions to things he sees outside of the window and cooperative care to help with grooming.

We focused on helping Teddy to observe people and dogs from a distance, without the need to react, various games to play while out on a walk, disengagement games and cooperative care games.

Check out this short video to get a sense of what we worked on.

Teddy has come a long way! Well done Teddy!

Need help with your dog? Contact me to set-up a free call to discuss your needs!

19/05/2024

Recently a bunch of new have joined my page.
A warm welcome to you. I am so glad you are here and interested in learning more about your dog’s behavior and how you can support them to live your best life together!

A bit about me: from a young age I had a great love for animals, but I was never allowed to have a dog. I had to make do with guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens.

As soon as I moved out, I got my first dog, Ernie. He was an easy-going, happy to please boy and I thought I had won the doggy lotto (I did!).

Then came Iso, a nervous guy, who was very sensitive and incredibly loving. He joined us when we moved from The Netherlands to Canada, at the ripe age of 11 years old.

When Iso passed away, we adopted Winston. Winston was 7 years old at the time and was the bestest boy; he won everyone over (including people who claimed they were not dog lovers, ha!).

And then came Alfie, in March 2020, the dog who inspired me to pursue an education in canine psychology and behavior. The dog who awed me, kept me on my toes, who brought joy, tears and who scared me. It was an incredible journey, that ended sooner than we had hoped or foreseen.

My husband and I are still trying to make sense of this journey and all the mixed emotions and grief this brings about. Lately, we have been crying a lot and talking frequently about Alfie and how he changed our lives.

Because of this experience, I am well positioned to help dog guardians who would like support with their dog. In my work with you, I not only focus on the dog’s needs, but also yours.

Curious to learn more about my offering? Contact me to set up a free call!

16/05/2024

THANK YOU!!

Last night I hosted an event in support of the Fredericton SPCA, 'the Mindful Guardian'. We raised $350!

During the event we discussed the many ways we can ensure our dog feels safe, happy and confident and how we can help ourselves when things get challenging.

A big thank you to our host Atlantic Pet Stylist Academy, and the sponsors for this event REN'S PETS who provided (s)wag bags and door prizes, and 3rd Daughter's Nature and Knotty Dogs for providing door prizes.

All registrants should have received a follow-up email with additional resources (check your junk mail if you did not!).

It was wonderful to spend the evening with fellow dog-lovers who want to give their dog(s) the best life possible!

13/05/2024

This coming Wednesday! It looks like it might be a rainy day, so a perfect opportunity to come out for this event.

There are just a few more seats remaining, so grab a friend and come support the Fredericton SPCA !

Register here: https://wagwisedogcoaching.com/the-mindful-guardian

10/05/2024

Humans and dogs have lived and worked together for centuries. Dogs have evolved over time with specific traits that help form and strengthen the human-canine bond. They were bred specifically to live and work alongside of us.

The human-canine bond can be further explained by attachment theory, a theory that is used to assess how securely attached children are to their caregiver.

Children who are securely attached, feel confident and comfortable to explore the world. According to this theory, young children, who are able to form attachment with their caregiver, thrive better in life. If an attachment figure is nearby, accessible, and attentive, a child will feel loved, secure, and confident (safe haven effect), which leads then to the ability of the child to go explore and interact with others; the so-called secure base effect.

Dogs are at the same developmental stage as a toddler, for life.
A dog depends on us to provide him with a physically and emotionally safe environment.

When we invest in our relationship with our dog, provide him adequate outlets, and a safe and trusting environment without fear, without pain and without aversive methods, we form secure attachment, and we are the safe haven for our dogs.

A dog who is well cared for and builds a trust relationship with his guardian(s), will result in a happy, confident, and content dog, who is at ease in his world.

Like to learn more about how you can build a trusting relationship with your dog? Sign up for the Mindful Guardian on May 15 at 7PM! More details can be found here: https://wagwisedogcoaching.com/the-mindful-guardian

06/05/2024

Hope to see you for this next week!!!

24/04/2024

Travel is a chance to see the world differently. I am always interested to see how the animals that we consider as pets live their lives in other places in the world.

We are staying in a very rural, quiet place, where the only things we hear are the birds and the waves of the ocean.

There are many dogs here, and although they all have a home, they roam around freely and seem very content, calm and happy.

We visited the city the other day, a bustling place with lots of traffic, noises and people.
The dogs here were confined behind gates and fences and were much more alert, there was a lot of barking and guarding behavior. A very different picture!

Environments matter!

Consider how can you support your dog, how you can make their lives as calm and worry-free as possible.

Would like to learn more about this? Join me on May 15 for the Mindful Guardian, a fundraiser for the Fredericton SPCA.

Sign up via this link: https://wagwisedogcoaching.com/the-mindful-guardian