2 Paws Up

29/06/2024

18/04/2024

Cutest little tippy happy noise ever! Good search also little man!

22/07/2023

Off leash dog problems...

By Erika Slovikoski

02/07/2023

With Independence Day celebrations fast approaching, it’s important to take precautions to keep your pets safe both during and after Fourth of July festivities. Here are 7️⃣ pet safety tips to keep in mind. You can find more important information here: https://bit.ly/2Yru6lC

26/06/2023

Remember, behavior adjustment takes time. Start now to hopefully reduce their anxiety a little this year, and keep working on it so next year will be better.

30+ proven techniques to deal with noise phobia

12/06/2023

Please fix your pets. There are so many animals & not enough homes for them. Be the "fix" not the problem.

Don't wait, you CAN afford to have your cat or dog spayed or neutered. https://bestfriendsofpets.org/programs/spay-neuter/

11/06/2023

Anxiety meds have been brought up a lot recently. Some people have reservations about it.
But, these supplements or actual prescribed medications along with behavior modification work well together to help your dog overcome or at least lesson their issues.
They may not have to be on them forever, nor are they the fix in itself, but they can help.

This article gives more understanding on different types.

https://www.drjensdogblog.com/behavior-medication-first-line-therapy-or-last-resort/?fbclid=IwAR2jdN-2Qkcnnbesk6s4suvoIOorD7JoDFADv-MdoxGbrLVjUmJdKKn-VMM

Today, I want to shed some light on a sometimes confusing, often maligned topic in the field of dog training – namely, the use of medication to treat behavior problems. You may have strong opinions…

31/08/2022

A few of the little cuties of the past couple of weeks.

20/07/2022

More mental exercise & outings over physical exercise, esp for the older dogs.

Dear Bark: My 12-year-old Bulgarian Shepherd, Gus, has never been very interested in play. Gus has been very restless, fussing for attention throughout the day. His behavior is making it hard for me to work. How do I get my quirky boy to play with me and work off some of this energy?

17/04/2022

A great read on head collars & human expectations of dogs.

https://www.infinitek9.com/blog/2019/2/6/how-we-make-our-dream-dog-unattainable?fbclid=IwAR28lW4OLHIduLuYHTVGRRiuFPNL8q0KFwKffOo9Vy2UROjVQi29yvj1ApE

Most of us grew up coveting the “American Dream.” We wanted the spacious single family home with the white picket fence for our two children and our dog. We dreamed of workless weekends on the lake and coming home to our large manicured yard with a shiny barbecue grill, being welcomed by neighbo...

03/04/2022

Tired of seeing infographs of foods your dog can't eat?

Here is a nifty printable infograph of some awesome foods found in your refrigerator that they CAN eat! :D

Created by Rodney Habib

25/11/2021

Cute, but please don't give your dog a cooked Turkey leg! Or any of the food from your spread.
Your dog & wallet will thank me later! (Pancreatitis)

24/11/2021

Hats off to Vistaprint for removing the ad & to the trainer for bringing the issue up to them.

A dog behaviour expert who raised concerns over a Christmas advert showing a young child...

27/09/2021

Grace is having a lovely walk on a beautiful Monday morning!

21/09/2021

We know better, so we do better.

(This can be a polarizing topic and we welcome kind debate on this page. Name calling, derogatory, and sarcastic statements will be deleted.)

16/09/2021

Great loose leash tips!

14/09/2021

This is such a powerful reminder to set your dog up for success and to know his limitations. 🙌

11/09/2021

A few of the past weeks animals that I remember to take pics of!☺️😫

04/09/2021

By Denise Fenzi

What do we mean by “behavior is a combination of nature and nurture?” And how much does each contribute to the behavior we see in front of us?
Genetics is what the dog is born with. That piece will be there regardless of the training that is, or is not, added to the picture. If you have ever been involved with dog breeding or watching litters of puppies over time, then you know that genetics produce significant similarities and differences in temperament, regardless of raising and training.
There are few things as unkind or as damaging to dog owners as discounting this reality. “It’s all in how you raise them” is what people say who aren’t working with genetically difficult dogs, or, more likely, who have had genetically easy dogs, and even their least intelligent interventions wash out.
So, on top of genetics, what else matters? Environment. Training. Maturity. How the dog lives on a day-to-day basis, and what interventions are placed on the dog.
Within any given situation, it is close to impossible to know what a dog would’ve been like in a different situation because it’s not in a different situation.
Have a little grace. Some people got the short end of the stick. Support them! Help them make the best of their challenging dog, and recognize that you can only guess when you say, “if that were my dog…” because that dog is not yours. And you really don’t know.
No, you can’t fix them all. Manage them all? Maybe. Depends on your setup and your tolerance for risk and what you feel about death vs quality of life.
Any trainer who is honest and paying attention quickly moves past the phase of, “if that were my dog… “
In my book, a trainer who claims they can fix all dogs either severely overestimate their abilities or doesn’t follow up on their work. Or they’re lying. Or insanely inexperienced. Regardless, it’s a problem.
Be kind. Be humble. Genetics is real. Environment goes on top of that. Training won’t change DNA. Ever.
As a former breeder and very long-time trainer, I’ll take a genetically sound dog with crappy raising any day over a genetically messed up dog from the best environment and training plan.

21/08/2021

Just a couple of the dogs 🐕 having fun the past few days.

09/08/2021

Too often we have expectations that our dogs should be good friends with every dog they meet. When you think about it, as humans, we do not become not good friends with everyone we meet - and that is true of our dogs too. They majority of dogs are 'selective' just like us - having some very good friends - and not really enjoying the company of others. This is important to remember when introducing your dog to unfamiliar dogs - remember just like us - they may or may not like the other dog and that is okay!

07/08/2021

PSA - Snakebites

To Canine PhD clients and anyone in GA.....
This is a public service announcement.
Copperheads are everywhere this year. There has been a spike in population. In addition, the rains are forcing them out of their natural habitats. While it is unusual to see them during the day and out in the open, this is happening more and more frequently. If your dog is bitten by a Copperhead DO NOT administer Benedryl or anti-anti inflammatories. Go directly to the nearest ER. There is a FB page called the National Snakebite Support Group. It is primarily for veterinarians who specialize in dealing with snake bites. There is a lot of GREAT information on the page. The best prevention is strict supervision. Keep your dogs on leash in your yard. Do not leave your dogs unattended. Unfortunately, 2 of my personal dogs were bitten in my backyard when I went to grab a p**p bag from inside of my house. So this can happen in a nanosecond. Keep your yards cut short, remove wood piles and mulch, clean drains and gutters, and use natural deterrents like certain plants, ammonia and vinegar. Know how to identify your snakes! And if you have any King Snakes (they range in color and patterns from black to red/white/yellow) do not remove them from your property! They are the good guys and MAY help to keep your Copperhead population under control. Opossums eat ticks, fleas, AND Copperheads, too. So be kind to them!

02/07/2021

Please keep your dogs inside even if they are not scared. They could develop a fear of fireworks from the exposure. Keep some lights on, pull shades & leave music or TV on. Some over the counter such as Composure - a natural supplement or CBD can help given before the noise starts if possible. Give them a good chew bone to keep them busy as well. Good luck & hope everyone has a good weekend & July 4th!

02/04/2021

This!

What should puppy socialization *really* look like?

There are a lot of misconceptions about socialization, so let’s clear up a few!

Socialization isn’t:

🚫Passing a puppy around through a group of people

🚫Taking a puppy to a dog park.

🚫Taking a puppy through a large, crowded pet store.

🚫Pressuring a puppy to “face its fears” - this is called flooding, and typically backfires!

🚫Bringing a puppy to a festival with loud music, fireworks, etc.

Socialization is:

✅ Gradual exposure to new things at a distance and intensity your puppy is comfortable with. This is going to vary by puppy!

✅ Taking puppy to a clean, well-run puppy class (yes, before 4 months of age!) that screens for vaccine/fecal records.

✅ Letting puppy meet people one a time, giving them space to move away if they choose to.

✅ Taking puppy to different types of indoor and outdoor locations and making their experience there fun.

✅ Bringing a treat pouch to reward good behavior and help create a positive association with new people, places, and things.

Recognize signs that your pup is “over it.” Excessive panting, attempts to leave the environment, shaking, yawning repeatedly - all of these are signs that the environment might be too much for your pup.

Questions? Drop them in the comments 👇

01/04/2021

Great article!

https://ohmydogblog.com/2019/04/my-reactive-dog/

My dog is the best. He’s sweet. He loves to cuddle. He adores cats. He skitters with his dog friends. He’s incredible with our two-year-old daughter, even falling in line when she waggles her fingers at him and says, “Cooper coming,” in her little voice. He’s my running partner and my side...