Lizzy and the Good Dog People

12/07/2025

My friend Jasper comes with an initial consultation and scholarships to Recall for a Meatball and Triumphant Teens! He is SOOOO smart with lots of energy. Jasper is a blast to train! Are you his new person? 🥹 Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, Inc.

Meet Jasper! 🤍

This high-energy, super-smart lab mix is looking for an active, adult-only home that can keep up with both his zoomies and his brain! 🧠💨

Jasper is:
✔️ Dog-social
✔️ House trained and doing well with crate training
✔️ Knows cues like sit, down, heel, and walks nicely on leash
✔️ Food-motivated and eager to learn

He’s still learning how to contain his excitement, so he’s best suited for experienced adopters who can help him continue building his manners.

The best part? Jasper comes with training scholarship, thanks to - Including an individual initial consultation, along with two group training courses: Recall for a Meatball and Triumphant Teens!

A fenced-in yard is a must for this playful guy - he needs room to run and zoom!

If you’re looking for a loyal adventure buddy who’ll keep you moving, Jasper might just be your perfect match!

baypathhumane.org/available-dogs

12/07/2025

YES YES YES! You can still sign on for a super-fun, effective class to teach your dog that it's worth their time to come when called. Recall for a Meatball starts Wednesday, July 16, at 7 pm ET. Use code SMALLBIZLOVE for 15% off your registration!! https://www.thegooddogpeople.com/classes

10/07/2025

Bezos is blasting off, but we’re keeping it grounded with real dogs + real humans + real connection.

This week, while the internet gets busy chasing lightning deals and cardboard boxes, we’re celebrating the cozy, heart-filled magic of small businesses.

Between now and Sunday, you can use the code SMALLBIZLOVE at thegooddogpeople.com for a 15% off off sessions, classes, and merch!
Because nothing says “counter-programming” like investing in trust, training, and the relationships that really matter, including you and your dog.

If you don’t need Lizzy and the Good Dog People, shop at other small businesses! If you give them a chance, you’ll find just the right thing!!

Past it on! Happy shopping, friends!

09/07/2025

The "Max Factor" is nothing to be embarrassed about!

LIPSTICK PEEK-A-BOO

Those of us with male dogs might be all too familiar with the sudden appearance of the colloquially named “lipstick" or "red rocket" as it’s commonly known.

This seems to happen at the most inappropriate times and may leave us feeling embarrassed and believe that our dog only has one thing on their mind!

It’s natural to assume that this display must be related to sexual arousal and yes, it is related to arousal, but it’s generally not sexual arousal.

Arousal is also not necessarily about excitement and may be triggered by a host of other emotions.

The same applies to hu***ng – although both males and females may hump. Hu***ng is commonly seen in a dog that is over aroused.

There are many emotions linked to arousal - see my post about hu***ng here – bit.ly/405MMqm - for more information.

Unless there is a suspected medical reason or your dog is doing this frequently, it’s not usually something to be concerned about.

Ignore it, don’t pay attention or make a fuss and it should soon go back into the tube!

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective and how it makes us feel.

07/07/2025

Healthy socialization occurs in layers. It's more than dogs meeting other dogs or people. ❤

Socialisation is a term that many struggle to define.
It's often confused with play, but play is a completely separate and important skill.
In a world that pushes constant interaction ….where dogs are expected to greet and play with every other dog they see, we can unintentionally create a dog who views every other dog as a source of excitement.
This isn’t socialisation… and it never was.

A better way to think about socialisation is acclimation, helping your dog adjust to everything the world offers, not just other dogs.

Weather
Surfaces
Animals
Crowds of people, all ethnicities, ages, and movement styles
Noises
Scents

That’s just a taste of what true socialisation really is.

Acceptance is another way to view it.
Accepting, not reacting.
Building positive associations.

That is true socialisation.

01/07/2025

These fantastic courses from my alma mater, The Academy for Dog Trainers, are on sale for one weekend!

To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, The Academy is offering 25% off two courses!

4th of July weekend only.

https://academyfordogtrainers.com/dog-trainer-courses/

30/06/2025

The summer Recall for a Meatball round starts Wednesday, July 9, at 7 pm EST! ☀️ (Here's your link: https://bit.ly/GoodDogPeopleClasses)

Train your dog to come when called using proven reward-based methods! This highly rated class is FUN, accessible, effective, efficient, and uses only force-free training. (No scary stuff for your dog or YOU!)

It is perfect for learners at every skill level; even trainers take the course! Our small group meets live via Zoom for five Wednesdays. If you have a scheduling conflict, no problem! Each class recording is available for you to watch when you can.
You can drop into any round if you are a Recall for a Meatball alum. Just email me, and I’ll add you to the roster!

* Friends, I always offer scholarship spots. If you need one, please email me! No questions asked. ❤

28/06/2025

Does your dog's have outlets for these natural, often essential behaviors? ❤ Great post, Rescued By Training!

Dogs come with many pre-installed behaviors like shredding, interacting with their own species, running/chasing and hunting to name a few. All too often, domestic dogs don't have appropriate outlets for them.

This can lead to boredom, destruction, frustration (for owners and dogs!) and decreased quality of life.

Enter enrichment.

Enrichment is more than work-to-eat toys; it's providing outlets for natural behaviors. And often, it's a big part of behavioral problem solving and part of my overall training plan for clients. It's not a nice little extra thing we add it. It's a critical part of the puzzle.

If you've thought "my dog just needs a yard" or "he needs to live outside the city" or he'd be "happier on a farm" because he's a herding dog, read my post this week.

https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/06/23/yard-dogs/

24/06/2025

Clients have described how we use food during counterconditioning as confusing at first, because they are used to operant conditioning, where the food reinforces a behavior. Once they catch on to the difference between changing a behavior and emotion, they are off and running. This is a fantastic post on the subject from Companion Animal Psychology!

This week's blog post answers a question that people sometimes have for me, namely should you use a clicker in counter conditioning? The short answer is no, but I've taken a deeper dive into this question to explain why. The longer answer will help you to improve your dog training technique. You can read the post via the link in bio or here: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2025/06/should-you-use-secondary-reinforcer.html

24/06/2025

We all need good news these days, and below is a bunch. Let's celebrate these dedicated dog guardians and their brave, wonderful dogs!

03/05/2025

Growls are important communication from dogs! What a great post from our friend and colleague Tiff Score - Free To Be Dog Behavior.

02/05/2025

Using a happy or neutral voice in training is as effective as using a loud or harsh tone, and it has much less potential to cause fear or behavioral fallout. ❤️