Ann King Canine Behavior Consultant

31/08/2024

The nice thing about socialization outings…sit and do nothing.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=834396162115387&id=100066350337104&mibextid=cr9u03

11/08/2024

Mark your calendars and spread the word! I'm offering a FREE Dog Park 101 class, encouraging attendees to donate to the El Dorado County Animal Services - West Slope Shelter Puppy Socialization Program. Registration info to come soon, email me at [email protected] to make sure you get the info.

27/07/2024

Excellent graphic! The most misunderstood body language is the “kiss to dismiss”.

Some of the more subtle ways a dog may ask for space.

For organised, unseen and regularly updated comics, check out the new comic subscription. (Link in bio)

18/07/2024

11/07/2024

Short video alert! Fostering a fearful dog? Here are some easy enrichment activities you can (and should) do at home.

Looking for ideas to bring more joy into your fearful pup's life? Here are some of our Confidence Builders Club members' favorite enrichment games. 🎁Get mor...

17/05/2024

I work in-person with clients for “visitor danger” but I know LOTS of folks who could benefit from this class.

Virtual group classes and support groups for reactive, fearful and aggressive dogs and their people. Dog trainer and behaviour consultant, behaviourist for reactive dog training, aggressive dog rehabilitation, online dog training classes. Get help for stranger danger, leash reactivity, aggression, f...

02/05/2024

As always, Dogkind LLC delivers an informative and important video about fearful dogs. This info is especially useful for those who are fostering or who have adopted a fearful dog. Is "Just give it time" good advice? Unfortunately, not usually.

If your fearful dog is struggling, more time by itself is unlikely to help. Learn what to do instead. 🎁Get your free guide to caring for your fearful dog he...

29/02/2024

If you are working with a trainer who uses language like “alpha” and “pack leader” please know that person has not done any continuing education in more than a decade. Their toolbox will not contain the tools you’ll need to train your dog in the most effective and humane way. It’s an unregulated industry.

There's not a town or a park without a pack leader in it is there? Even now, in these times of easy information and free science, it still falls out of peoples mouths "Dominance, leader, alpha' and so on. Let's take a closer look at the urban legend that says dogs must be below people in the pack. T...

27/01/2024

I was contacted by a client because her dog started reacting negatively to being touched by their child. I met with them and observed some behaviors that indicated the dog might be in pain (panting, didn't want to do a "down", avoiding the child). And the dog had a funky walk. Before we did any work, I had her visit her vet (with front, side, rear videos of the dog walking), and turns out the dog was dealing with quite a bit of shoulder pain. Once the dog was treated (multi-modal w/meds and some physical therapy), the dog no longer responded negatively to the child's touch. Found this short video that breaks down what a normal gait looks like.

Walk, Amble, Pace and Trot in the Dog.The walk pattern is left rear, left front. right rear, right front. Only one leg moves at a time. Most dogs dislike jus...

22/01/2024

I'm honored to have been a guest on Erin Scott's "Believe in Dog" podcast where we talked about my RescueSMART protocol, and the all-important 3/3/3 period when bringing home a new dog. Erin has all kinds of guests from the dog world on her podcast, and they cover every topic imaginable...worth checking out for sure!

https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode87

22/01/2024

I’m honored to have been a guest on Erin Scott’s “Believe in Dog” podcast where we talked about my RescueSMART protocol, and the all-important 3/3/3 period when bringing home a new dog.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-dog/id1485177521?i=1000642486014

www.BelieveInDogPodcast.com

28/12/2023

I laugh every time I look at this calendar. There’s no attribution to who created it or why (I was thinking a fundraiser) but I love it. Thanks for this thoughtful gift. 🤣🐾

15/12/2023

The indignity of it all. 🤣

10/12/2023

Attention puppies 9-14 weeks of age! Tell your humans they need to get your cute little bottoms into this class so you don’t struggle with fear/anxiety, reactivity or aggression when you’re older. You won’t be fully vaccinated so be sure to tell them you are very well protected after just one round of vaccines 7 days before class. And the place where we go is fully sanitized before each class! Tell them not to wait because your most important socialization period ends around 14 weeks of age! By then you’ll have formed all kinds of opinions about new places, new things, new people, other dogs…everything! Tell them you don’t want to have to see the nice lady for problems later. 😬 We’ll tackle typical pesky puppy problems, too. (Psssst…we know you’re not being naughty on purpose.) 🐾💕 All info in the link in bio. ⬆️

08/12/2023

Couldn’t resist snapping this pic…evidently Jonna and Oakley were captivated by whatever shenanigans were going on in the next yard. I think Oakley was a little jealous that Jonna’s attentions were diverted from the special love sesh they had going on. 😂🐾💕

22/08/2023

My friend (and massage therapist) has two adorable Frenchies ready for their new homes. These cuties were raised in a home environment with both dog parents and human children, and followed Puppy Culture practices. 🐾💕

07/08/2023

When a dog is more or less in a constant or almost-constant state of fear or stress, it is being "hijacked" by its neurotransmitters. This just means that the dog's brain chemistry is such that learning new things, like how to cope with stressors, is extremely difficult. In some cases a behavior consultant will recommend the dog be seen by a qualified veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist for a medication consult. This article is a good overview of behavior meds. The current standard of care is to intervene with medications sooner than later if it is determined they will help the dog learn new ways to cope. Meds should ALWAYS be used in conjunction with a training plan developed by a qualified trainer.

canine anxiety medications, puppy anxiety medications, dog anxiety medications, whole dog journal, dog anxiety attack, canine anxiety attack, puppy anxiety attack

06/05/2023

The interesting aspect of this study to me was that dog owners were worse at spotting signs of discomfort in their dogs around children than people who don’t own dogs. 😳 If you have kids and are adopting or purchasing a dog, be sure the dog shows body language that indicates “wow!! I am super into these kids!” This is loose, wiggly, body language, and a dog that actually initiates physical touch from a child. A dog that simply tolerates children isn’t good enough. And that’s my only hard-and-fast rule when it comes to bringing a dog into the family, which is also why we need to support families who wish to purchase a dog from a responsible breeder. Adopt wisely & shop responsibly.

Dog owners are even worse than non-dog owners at interpreting canine body language in interactions with children, according to research.

05/05/2023

Attention puppies 9-14 weeks old! Tell your people to get your cute little bum to PuppySMART class so you can practice going to the vet/groomer, meet new friends, and experience all sorts of sights, sounds and smells to prevent future fear, anxiety and aggression. Learn about the importance of early puppyhood socialization and register for class at www.AnnKingDogBehavior.com/puppysmart

18/04/2023

3 dogs 1 heating pad.

24/03/2023

My colleague Kara Fike is launching leash reactivity classes. Highly recommend for those of you who want to help your dog learn a different way to cope with stressors when you’re out and about on leash.

Does your dog overreact (growl, lunge, bark, etc.) when they see dogs, people, or other stimuli? Our Reactivity Class will get you started on the path to improved leash skills and calmer outings.

17/03/2023

If you’re lucky enough to have gotten your puppy from a breeder that follows a program like Puppy Culture, then you’ll want to continue setting your puppy up for a great start with this program for owners. Prevent future behavior problems by investing your time during your puppy’s primary socialization window 8-14 weeks of age. I don’t want you to have to call me later. 😬

If you’re wondering what the difference is between the Puppy Culture Film and our course for puppy owners, “With Open Arms course,” here you go!

With Open Arms (https://bit.ly/WITHOPENARMS) is a true course and what a puppy owner really needs to know in those first few weeks that they have their puppy home. The course picks up where Puppy Culture leaves off.

Even if you’ve seen Puppy Culture (http://bit.ly/PUPPYCULTUREVOD), With Open Arms will be all new material for you.

If you’ve already seen Puppy Culture, great! If not, no worries because we’ve included select excerpts from Puppy Culture in the course.

Here are some highlights from the course:

Transporting your puppy home
Setting up a playpen
Your first few days and nights together
Training priorities in the first two weeks
Learning to read your puppy’s feelings
Socialization guidelines
Structuring your puppy’s day and schedules
Teaching self-control (self-regulation)
Dealing with puppy biting
Complete house and crate training system

The course also includes extensive training instruction:
The basics of clicker training
Recall
Leash Walking
Attention
Box Game

Breeders, there is a nice discount on four or more copies...I will post on that separately!

16/02/2023

There’s much more to puppy socialization than making new puppy friends. But that’s the cutest part of puppy class for sure. 🥰

02/02/2023

New dog you’re just getting to know? Dog that needs to burn energy but you’re short on time?
Puppy that doesn’t yet know how to walk on a short leash?
Anxious dog?

Get yourself a longline from K9 Tactical Gear (I like 15-20 ft. if you’re new to longlines), make sure your dog’s collar is properly fitted so they can’t back out of it, go to a space your dog can safely explore, and spend 15-20 minutes on a “sniffari”. For an added bonus, bring a handful of dog food for your dog to snuffle out of the grass. Now you’ve fed and exercised your dog in less than 30 minutes. AND your dog’s ”happy brain chemicals” get a big boost.

13/01/2023

THIS.

06/01/2023

Got a puppy over 15 weeks old? Check out The Puppy Pro’s group classes for Enthusiastic Adolescents (the un-enthusiastic are welcome too 😂). This age can drive you nuts, and you’ll want to have Chris in your corner.

06/01/2023

Attention puppies 9-14 weeks of age! Tell your humans they need to get your cute little bottoms into this class so you don’t struggle with fear/anxiety, reactivity, and aggression when you’re older. You won’t be fully vaccinated, but make sure you tell them you are very well protected after just 1 round of vaccines 7 days before you come to class. Tell them not to wait because your most important socialization period ENDS at just 14 weeks of age! By then you’ll have formed all kinds of opinions about new people, places, other dogs…everything! Tell them you don’t want to have to see the nice lady for problems later. 😬 We’ll tackle typical pesky puppy problems too (pssst…we know you’re not naughty on purpose).
All info in link in bio.⬆️

03/01/2023

Happy New Year (I guess!). Tech frustrations! If you have tried to register your puppy for my PuppySMART class and the link to the registration form was dead, this is now fixed. I just stumbled upon this technical problem. The gal in the photo looks a lot less freaked out than I was. 😕
ALL INFO & REGISTRATION about PuppySMART (socialization and training for puppies 9-14 weeks of age) can be found at www.AnnKingDogBehavior.com/puppysmart

30/12/2022

Learn how to socialize your puppy the right way AND how to tackle those pesky puppy problems in a class designed for puppies 9-14 weeks of age (their most important socialization developmental period). Class is open enrollment, so you can start 7 days after your puppy has 1 round of vaccines (and a negative f***l test inc. Giardia—just ask your vet). Details are at www.AnnKingDogBehavior.com/puppysmart