Lisa G

24/04/2024

Do vs Dont's of Training!

Build a strong bond with your pup through positive reinforcement and patience (treats help too). Ditch the frustration - happy training leads to happy pups!

22/04/2024

Want a calmer, happier pup? Sniffaris are the secret!

Letting your dog use their nose activates their 'rest and digest' system while providing crazy good mental exercise. 👍

Pick a quiet spot, use a long leash, and let them lead! Check out my YouTube for a full Sniffari how-to.

21/04/2024

Our pups make the PAW-fect muses 🐶🐾

16/04/2024

Being a good girl is exhausting 🥱😴

25/03/2024

New video live: crate training games that work!

Crate Training Games That Work // Crate training can be super fun! Try these crate training games to help your dog enjoy their crate :) *Join my FREE trainin...

23/03/2024

Bella and I had a private moment while her mom went to get treats 😂

04/03/2024

Pet Lab Co. Probiotics Review

*Affiliate Link* Discover more about PetLab Co.’s Probiotic Chews now - https://spn.so/l/zz3gt497*Chapters* 0:00 Introduction1:16 Probiotics for Dogs1:45 Why...

20/02/2024

I am now offering a FREE course 'How do I know if I'm ready for a service dog?' in my free community! You can request to join here: https://www.skool.com/public-access-prep-school

03/02/2024

Don't forget to fade the lure!

A little preview of my new upcoming course 👀

02/02/2024

Watch the full video on YouTube 📺

01/02/2024

Cute Food Dog Names 🍣

30/01/2024

Disney Movie Dog Names 🦁

29/01/2024

Meet Dalton, practicing his ‘under’ skills like a pro. 🐾

In crowded spaces, he’s learning to tuck away neatly for safety and discretion.

Learning to be the best boy under the table!

29/01/2024

This essential skill helps get your pup's focus away from distractions. 🐶✨

Remember, short sessions are key with puppies!

28/01/2024

Saint Francis in his shark teef era 🦈

28/01/2024

CUTE ITALIAN FOOD INSPIRED DOG NAMES 🍝🐶

28/01/2024

The full vid is on YouTube 📺

27/01/2024

Shout out to Kona, she's a real one. 🌺

27/01/2024

HAPPY 4TH BDAY DODGER!!!!!! ⚾ 🧢

- When Dodger was not my dog, and I was just puppy raising him 🐕‍🦺

23/01/2024

Dodger coughing up a treat as I try to take a selfie with him

09/01/2024

I didn’t realize yesterday was National Lab Day!!!

So here’s to the many Pawsome labs who I’ve had the pleasure of working /hanging out with 💕🐾

09/01/2024

Shake it…shake it off…

A recent study by two researchers in France looked at sniffing, pulse rate, and leash length on walks. Sixty-one dogs were taken on three separate walks, five minutes each walk, once with a 1.5m leash, once with a 5m leash, and once without a leash at all (walk order was randomized for each dog). Off-leash dogs sniffed the most, more than 3x as long as the dogs on short leashes. Dogs on long leashes spent nearly as much time as unleashed dogs sniffing, almost 3x as long as dogs on short leashes.

This study also found that sniffing resulted in lowered pulse rates, and the more intensely they sniffed, the more their pulse rates lowered. Pulse rate was also lowered when dogs “shook off” during walks on all leash lengths. The “shake off” behavior was often seen when the dog’s pulse rate was particularly high.

Read more about it below!
http://www.dogfieldstudy.com/node/1

https://thebark.com/content/dog-walks-sniffing-shaking-and-pulse-rate

What else can we learn about dogs from their walking behavior? Take your best friend on a Sniffari and see what you observe!

05/01/2024

Weekend mode feat. waffles 🧇🐶🐾

24/12/2023

Puppy love 💝 🐶

29/10/2023

On freezing 🥶 or snow ❄️ days, we love using to strengthen our core 💪🏼

17/10/2023

Happy 3rd Bday Buko 🥥

Had so much fun at your 🐾🫶

27/09/2023

Ozzy the is tiny but mighty…don’t be fooled by his smoll size 🐾

17/09/2023

Did you know that a sniffari walk will make your dog more tired than a fast paced walk? The stimulation from a sniffari is great for meeting your dogs, physical, emotional and mental needs. Grab a long leash and let your pups nose lead the way!

Follow me for the best training tips and tricks for your dog!

14/09/2023

A very important topic in canine fitness -- signs of fatigue! Sharing this again because it's *that* important.


𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐄 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐠?

Knowing when your dog is getting tired is a KEY part of fitness training!

Dogs can only communicate to us with their bodies, so it is OUR job as handlers to watch for signs of fatigue and to RESPECT what they are telling us.

Reaching fatigue during fitness training is important for progress & muscle development, but 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍.

Many dogs will work through fatigue, pain, and discomfort (especially in the presence of food rewards!!). It’s up to us to not let them go too far past physical limits.

Muscles that are tired cannot work as effectively as rested muscles. Working a fatigued muscle too long will put strain on other parts of the dog - weaker muscles, ligaments, or tendons - which can lead to compensation, overuse, and injuries!

SEEING the fatigue is not easy!! Especially if you are just getting started with your canine fitness journey. 🥰

I made this little cheat sheet to help the humans be more aware of what fatigue might look like in the dog!

You’ll notice the word “CHANGE” a lot in the descriptions below. This is the main thing I watch for with my own dogs when training. Watching for a 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 in posture, attitude, speed, topline, (etc) from the dog’s normal, or from the start of the session, is the best first step in reading your dog’s level of fatigue.

𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐄

𝐅 - FIDGETING - excessive foot movements, dramatic change in foot position, dog is no longer staying still or starts to offer other behaviours, etc.

𝐀 - AVOIDANCE - dog starts to avoid or refuse well-known behaviours, or leaves work entirely.

𝐓 - TOPLINE - change in the dog’s topline from the dog’s normal or from the beginning of the session (often showing up as roaching/hunched/rounded back or a dip behind the withers (swayback).

𝐈 - INTENSITY - change in the dog’s speed, intensity, and/or attitude of the exercise.

𝐆 - GENERALIZED STRESS SIGNALS - watch for excessive stress signals: lip licking, yawing, tucking tail between legs, sniffing, avoiding eye contact, hard mouth, loss of confidence (“shutting down”), becoming frantic, etc.

𝐔 - USE OF LIMBS - changes in weight distribution between limbs (dog offloads or favours one leg), change in leg position (tucking hind limbs beneath pelvis, or “posting” with front legs), etc.

𝐄 - EXTERNAL ROTATION - watch for external rotation of elbows, carpal joints, hips, stifles, and hock joints - especially if different than the dog’s normal posture.

If you see 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐄:
1️⃣ Stop and give the dog a rest!
2️⃣ Reassess your session - At what point is the fatigue showing up? Can the dog comfortably & with good form complete more reps? Did you make it too hard too fast?
3️⃣ EITHER
A - Continue the session if the dog seems better after a rest.
OR
B - End the session if the dog continues to show fatigue!

⚠️𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ⚠️ If you are seeing these signs of fatigue REGULARLY (during training and in life) - keep track, make notes, and most importantly ask a veterinary professional. Your dog may be showing signs of chronic pain/discomfort instead of just fatigue! If so, it will be important to STOP canine fitness training, and figure out WHY your dog is displaying these signs, before you carry on with any training.