My Wonderful Dog

05/08/2025

Learning to read dog body language is so important

Small signals.
Big meanings.
These movements and behaviors aren’t random.
They've been carefully chosen and deliberately used by your dog and they're being used to avoid confrontation, deescalate or steer clear of something they feel uneasy about .
They might sense just a little pressure or conflict...so they offer a signal to say, “We’re all good here.”

Growling is a clear signal they can give...but it's risky.
Way before the growl are all these little signals they can give.
It's communication and it's natural....but we can be "offended" when we realise they are aiming them at us.

Instead of taking it personally, we can ask ourselves....
Why do they feel the need to use them?
That question is an opportunity to support our dogs better

Some signals serve a double duty.
A tail lowering, perhaps tucking? Often fear.....but it can also act as appeasement.
A lowered head? Maybe appeasement, maybe fear.
Context matters.

They can be incredibly subtle.
Tricky to spot....but we owe it to our dogs to look a little deeper at why they are behaving the way they are.

It is all communication.

24/07/2025

Need a place to run your dog? Is she terrible off leash? Maybe he’s good off leash but you’d like a place where he can cool off on a hot day.

Check out sniff spot https://www.sniffspot.com/listings/portland-me #:~:text=Zuzu's%20Zoomie%20Acres%20at%20Wilde,the%20left%20of%20the%20barn. There are a whole variety of fenced and unfenced areas near here available for your pup.

Find the best off leash dog parks for rent near Portland, ME. Explore both public and private dog parks perfect for safe exercise, play, and training in the Portland area.

16/07/2025

It’s nice to wake up to this:

Elsa! We really appreciate your time today and see an immediate difference in his temperament. Look forward to working with you again soon.

Austin

01/07/2025

Hey friends, be smart. If it’s too hot for you it’s way too hot for your dogs. Today in the Whole Foods Market parking lot some guy had left his dog in the car with the windows cracked. Please be aware that dogs don’t sweat like humans do so they can’t get rid of heat efficiently. They can easily get heat stroke in no time flat

Not only can leaving an animal in a hot car lead to fatal heatstroke, but it is also illegal in several states! Learn more about the dangers of leaving an animal in a hot car and see safety tips for keeping your pet cool in the summer months.

09/05/2025

In a behavior course, I once took, we had a long discussion about intake forms, the forms we have owners fill out that give us a basic history of the dog, current lifestyle and what sort of training the dog requires.

Since trainers often, though not always, have to deal with behaviors which might be problematic and ones the owners may find frustrating (or even scary)we talked about ways that we might be able to try and heal that frayed bond.

Someone suggested adding a question to the form that asked the owner to name three things that you love about your dog. This often helps the owner to focus on what the dog is doing right (and why we love them) instead of always focusing on what the dog is doing wrong.

I love some of the answers I get back

17/04/2025

Thinking about adopting littermates. I never recommend it. Here’s a good article on why not to do it.

Adopting two pups from the same litter seems like a good idea. They can keep each other company! However, the can interfere with socialization.