Paws Look Listen

03/07/2024

It’s that time of year again 😖 Stay safe out there everyone!

More pets go missing on the 4th of July because of fireworks than any other day of the year. Here are some tips to help keep your furry friend safe during the holiday.

15/05/2024

Gordon is fully in agreement with leading experts 🤓🐶

15/05/2024

I’ve had a last minute opening in my calendar for my Easy Way program beginning later this week.

If any of my clients would love to have a refresher session or a couple weeks of field trip training, reach out to me!

Goofy photo of Gordon for tax 🥰

14/03/2024

I had the pleasure of joining our local community on Cincinnati Edition on 91.7 WVXU earlier today to discuss dog parks and training! I was happy to join Dr. Lilly our local veterinary behaviorist from OSU and a veterinarian from our wonderful MedVet.

If you missed the live presentation earlier, you can catch an encore airing of the show this evening at approximately 8:06 PM. Anyone is welcome to stream the program on demand as well. 

Dogs can be bullies, too, canine behavior experts say, and fights can result in dogs learning inappropriate behaviors from other dogs.

12/02/2024

I’m always very appreciative when my clients understand why I’m running a few minutes behind 😅

30/01/2024

Always a wonderful time at our local NPR station 91.7 WVXU! Thank you Lucy May and the rest of the team for having us on and producing a great show 🐶 🎙️

29/01/2024

Tune into 91.7 WVXU tomorrow Tuesday 1/30 at lunch time to hear me on Cincinnati Edition for their hour long pet show!

The program starts at noon (12:06 PM more precisely) and it will be available for streaming after for anyone that isn’t able to catch the program.

10/01/2024

I hope everyone is having a good start to the new year!

Beginning this year I am making some changes to my schedule. This is to allow for a healthier work-life balance and ensure I can keep helping all of my wonderful clients for years to come.

In addition to being my passion and my love, dog training can also be very fatiguing and difficult on all of us in the profession. We are not just working with puppies and silly dogs, but also very serious and at times world warping or upending behavioral issues or cases. This can result in a high rate of burnout and compassion fatigue for many of the people I share this industry with.

To help in this endeavor and keep me in good shape for (hopefully) many years to come, I am reducing my schedule 20% and shifting my hours slightly. I may make some additional changes as I navigate this new schedule and really appreciate all of your support as I help you and your four legged family members.

All my best,
Nick

24/04/2023

We’ve all been there 😅😂

CHARLESTON, SC—Making what onlookers described as an embarrassing scene, local dog Cooper and his owner, Michelle Arkin, were having a public fight in the middle of a farmers market, sources reported Monday. “Cooper! Cooper, you will behave yourself while I am shopping, do you understand?” sai...

08/01/2023

For all of my clients that love using Ziwi Peak, it is on sale right now at Hollywood Feed formerly known as Pet People 🐶

29/11/2022

Now that we are past the holiday, I wanted to make an official announcement. Two weeks ago, we welcomed this sweet boy into our home. 

Meet Gordon! We believe he is around 1 year old and was adopted from Cincinnati Animal CARE. He is a giant goofball and it has been fun bringing a new dog into our home. I’m sure all of you will be hearing stories as we navigate a new dog with some behaviors to work on, right along side all of you and your dogs.

24/11/2022

For anyone who missed the show earlier, tune in to hear tips and ideas to help with your dog and the festivities. Enjoy the time with friends and family!

On Cincinnati Edition's pet show, our panel of experts answer your questions and share advice for caring for your pets.

23/11/2022

We are getting ready to join our friends at 91.7 WVXU for a special Thanksgiving pet show. Come join us or check it out later today to get tips and ideas to help make your holiday fun and safe for everyone. The show starts at 12:06 PM EST.

15/11/2022

This is absolutely correct 🙌🏻

When dog owners contact me for help with their dogs, I am often asked some variation of the following:

1. Do you have experience with Flying Unidoodles?
2. Will your methods work on a dog that was previously used as a coffee table?
3. Can you help with our dog that we're pretty sure was born under a Super Moon?

Replace the silly stuff with real breeds and histories, and they're just as useless to me. Because when it comes to changing an existing behavior, none of it matters.

I see you warming up your fingers to furiously refute what I just wrote:

"You absolutely MUST know the traits of the breed you're working with! Flying Unidoodles are COMPLETELY different from Venutian Skating Dogs!"

"But you have to know a dog's history before you work with it! Otherwise, you might not know that the dog was used as a NIGHTSTAND and not a coffee table!"

"Super Moon dogs are notoriously difficult to housetrain and if you don't know that going in, you might miss something!"

Here's the thing: If any of this were true, then stray dogs of unknown backgrounds and breed mixes could never be trained successfully. And we know that's not true.

Of course, I always take a thorough history when working with a new dog. But not for those reasons.

Taking a history helps me determine whether or not there might be a medical condition that requires a referral to the vet before starting any training.

I can sometimes learn enough about the dog's background to pinpoint the origin of the problem, like a lack of socialization, traumatic experience, etc. But, again, with dogs from shelters and rescues, we can sometimes only speculate.

It also helps me determine whether or not there are environmental factors or things in the dog's daily routine that might be contributing to the problem.

Most importantly, taking a thorough history helps me identify a pattern for the behavior, including what triggers the problem, so that I can develop a management and training plan.

But, when it comes to actually changing the behavior, breed, origin, and prior learning history (via abuse, neglect, or just bad training) don't play much of a role in my behavior plan.

Because I can't go back and change those things. Knowing about them might allow me to explain the behavior to the dog's owner (so they are more sympathetic to the dog and so they might avoid making a similar mistake with future dogs). But, if we don't know the dog's history, it doesn't hinder my ability to change behavior.

I am going to customize my plan to that individual dog, not the breed, not where they came from, and not based on past learning history.

We don't have special collars for dogs born under a Super Moon, or patented techniques for Venutian Skating Dogs used as coffee tables.

What matters is the behavior the dog is presenting at this point in time, what triggers the behavior, and what the outcome is for the dog after he/she exhibits the behavior, which helps us determine the motivation for the behavior.

From there, we can develop a plan for that individual that decreases stress, increases tolerance, changes associations, and teaches alternatives to increase future success.

Does it help to know breed traits and quirks? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Breed is a combination of selected traits, but that doesn't mean all individuals of the breed are identical or motivated by the same things. We do a huge disservice to dogs when we assume that they behave the same just because they look the same.

Having worked with 150 breeds and over 4,000 dogs over the last 15 years, I have learned not to make any assumptions about a dog based on breed. They all need us to adapt to them, not force them into a box of stereotypes.

That said, when working with a Flying Unidoodle, I do recommend having a plan in place for strategic treat delivery. Those horns are sharp, especially when they are young!

When seeking a trainer, don't stop your search just because a trainer seems to have experience with your dog's breed or background. Keep asking more questions to determine their expertise.

See "Getting Help For Your Dog" under Notes to learn more.

26/10/2022

Great ideas for your dog to enjoy the festivities 👻

26/10/2022

EMERGENCY DO YOU KNOW ME? Male found 10/26 on OH-128 in Cleves. Injured and receiving medical attention. Please call 513-541-7387 with any information about this dog.
ID #: 1068

22/10/2022

😂

It’s that time of year again. Leaves are great for dog snuffle games, but I could give my p**p searches a miss!

**psearch

24/09/2022

12/09/2022

Always good info from my friends at Family Paws Parent Education

10/09/2022

This is so true. Dogs will be dogs.

05/09/2022

Excellent information that many of my clients may find helpful

29/08/2022

Very interesting to read. I’d be curious to have more studies done to explore this more.

A new study says that dogs produce emotional tears similar to how humans do. But not everyone in the veterinary community is convinced.

25/08/2022

Oh my goodness this is too funny 😂

Introverted dogs have a hilarious meetup at a dog park and introverted humans relate. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.

23/08/2022

We often hear owners say they think their dog will simply grow out of separation anxiety.

Unfortunately, this is a myth! True separation anxiety is a clinical panic disorder that will not simply disappear one day. With proper desensitization, you can help your dog overcome SA, but that’s something that takes proper training and time!

13/08/2022

I often talk about tight spaces with my clients. These illustrations from Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin are great! Thank you Family Paws Parent Education for continuing to put out wonderful resources.

02/08/2022

It is with a very heavy heart that I inform all of you that our beloved dog Fezzik passed away this morning. He was 9.5 years old and we are all feeling shocked and pained by his sudden and unexpected absence. I frequently talk about all of my dogs with my clients as throughout the years they have helped and taught me so much and in-turn, helped so many of my clients.

The recent lesson that Fezzik taught me was about needs and communication. Ever since his ACL injury and subsequent two surgeries, our lives have been upended. Even after his recovery, he continued to wear his Help-Em Up Harness as he still struggled with getting up at times. This led us to see him as being increasingly needy and constantly wanting our attention. He’s always been a glutton for affection so this all fit.

Recently though I began to realize that it was not just love and pets he was wanting, but that he was trying in the only way he knew how to communicate that a need of his wasn’t being met. Whether that was for a drink of water, to get up and go potty, time for a treat, and yes sometimes just because he wanted some love. Once I did a checklist of these, he almost always settled down and was quite content again. He even developed the cutest way to signal that I’d figured it out; he’d stick his tongue out and do an exaggerated lick.

It is so very easy for us to at times become accustomed to our dogs just being needy or annoying sometimes as we are focused on innumerous things throughout the day. I want you to try and take time though to remember to listen to your dog and learn what they are telling you.

Paws, look, and listen to your dogs every day ❤

Nick & David

19/07/2022

Join me again today at noon on Cincinnati Edition on our local NPR station on 91.7 WVXU!

On Cincinnati Edition Tuesday our panel of experts answer your pet questions. Call us at 513-41-7100 or email [email protected].

05/07/2022

Independence Day fireworks can be dangerous and terrifying for our pets. Here's how animal experts advise keeping your furry friends safe this weekend.

30/06/2022

It’s that time of year again 😞 Make sure you’re prepared with your pups!

More pets go missing on the 4th of July because of fireworks than any other day of the year. Here are some tips to help keep your furry friend safe during the holiday.