Happy Tails Training Baden

06/19/2025

I am absolutely throwing myself under the bus here by sharing this photo, but with good reason, stay with me on this..

When you look at this photo, you see me smiling big and you see me holding short leashes to 4 dogs.
Who looks happier, me or the dogs?

Me.
I could get into why the dogs are showing stress but truthfully my little Jamal (black and white) is no longer with us and looking at this photo for too long hurts my soul.

And that’s not what a dog’s walk should focus on. Yes, you of course want to be happy while walking a dog, but they should be too. Taking a dog out for a walk is such a small part of their day, but it can mean the absolute most to them, so it’s THEIR walk.

When I started my business over 7 years ago, my goal was to be able to walk as many dogs as safely together as I could.
This goal thankfully changed fairly quickly as I continued my education in all things dogs, learning to properly read canine body language and realizing that multi-dog walks on short leashes can actually be very stressful on a dog and prevent them from having their needs met.

CONT’D in comments

06/04/2025

Ask and you shall receive…within reason of course!

I am a big believer in doing the absolute best for our dogs in all scenarios and following LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) methods. Example for ya!

Lola wasn’t interested in taking her giant but chewable heartworm medication this morning even when offered with a few snacks and I was asked if I wanted to give it a try when I came for our outing today. Heck ya I wanted to give it a go! I immediately started brainstorming ways I could make taking her medication the most fun experience ever.
Lola and I have a strong reinforcement history together already so I knew chances were high that we could figure this out together.
I wish I had taken a video to show you the chaos- the fun chaos that is.
I broke the pill up into small pieces and started playing the 1-2-3 game and tossing them up for her to catch. She took majority of the pill this way but then became uninterested in catching so I paired the pieces with high value liver treats for a cooldown exercise and she took them no problem. A fun and stress-free start to our enrichment walk.

I am more then a dog walker, I’m certified in positive training methods, I have more than 7yrs of experience working hands on in the pet care industry and I will do everything in my power to offer the most support to my clients and their families.

I have some availability for sporadic bookings throughout the summer, if you’re away for the day and would like your pup to have some extra TLC, message me today!
We make our outings fun but also educational 😇🤓

[Photo Description]: A golden retriever sitting in the shaded grass is looking up at the camera with her tongue out

05/09/2025

It’s never personal, if I’m dodging you out on a walk it’s for the dogs benefit 🥰

Why your dog can’t meet my puppy.

When I am out walking with my new pup Maeve and I see people or dogs coming I move over to the side out of their way and I feed her for focussing on me instead of the people or the other dogs.

Some people stop with their dogs and indicate they want their dog to meet Maeve. I just politely say no thank you and keep on feeding her. Sometimes I have to step between Maeve and the dog if they still insist on bringing their dog over.

I have two reasons for being so adamant about this.

On-leash greetings are often not in a puppy’s best interest. The potential is there for them to be put into a situation that frightens them. Older dogs can snap at puppies who get in their faces. One snap from an older dog can frighten or hurt a sensitive puppy causing them to be afraid of dogs.

Maeve will probably weigh around fifty pounds as an adult dog. If I set up the predictability now of her being able to pull me to every dog we see that is really going to be a problem as she gets bigger and stronger.

An important part of socialization is teaching our dogs that they can see other dogs while they are on leash and choose to move on with us instead. It’s a valuable life skill for a city dog, a trail dog, or any dog who’s going to be out and about with their person.

This doesn't mean Maeve doesn’t get to play or socialize. She plays off-leash with doggie friends I know and trust, in situations where everyone is set up to succeed. Socialization is about quality, not quantity. It’s about building good experiences, not just exposure.

So if you see us on a walk and I say “no thank you” to a doggy meet-and-greet, please know it’s not personal. I’m just working hard to raise a confident, relaxed adult dog who can move through the world with ease.

Thanks for understanding.

03/28/2025

Happy Friday!! Levi and I just wanted to share a little clip from our outing this morning!As mentioned this doesn’t work for every dog but it works for most of the dogs I work with and it keeps us having fun! Community walks don’t have to be boring-hold-the-leash only walks, you can maximize your time together while teaching great habits and building confidence 🐾

02/19/2025

Maverick was aware of the delivery truck ahead of us and I noticed right away that he stopped in his tracks and turned towards me. Rather then just ignoring his feelings and pushing ahead I chose to make this scenario less stressful for him which then helps build confidence.

To some this may look like “no biggie” but to Maverick I made the encounter all the more pleasant for him and prevented potentially bigger feelings and any leash tension.

I am proud of what I do, I am proud of my work and I am proud of my education (and continuing education).

Here’s to many more of the best possible outings with all my fur-friends!

02/05/2025

One of my favourite things while working with a client’s dog is when we’ve reached the point in our relationship where they choose to stop mid walk, turn and just stare at me like “hey I could go for another treat right about now???” And of course I give them a treat because why wouldn’t I??

[Photo description]: A golden retriever is sitting in the snow looking up at the camera

01/11/2025

AVA😄

Ava and I met this past summer and we worked together with her family and got to know each other a bit. This weekend I have the pleasure of taking her out on some solo outings and today we had so much fun on an empty trail!

01/10/2025

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

As mentioned I’ve got my very first giveaway happening now on Instagram!

Click the link to take you there and follow the easy steps to enter for a chance to win these awesome prizes to level up your next walk! 🐶

https://www.instagram.com/happytailswalkingbaden/profilecard/?igsh=MWlrMWRpbWdiaHg0dA==

01/07/2025

If you have Instagram and you aren’t already following my Happy Tails account you’re going to want to give a follow! Stay tuned for something fun being shared on there Friday 🐶



https://www.instagram.com/happytailswalkingbaden/profilecard/?igsh=MWlrMWRpbWdiaHg0dA==

01/06/2025

Have you ever considered doggie daycare for your dog? Or do you visit dog parks? This is a great listen to explore on these topics!

In this episode, Nikki and Dr. Pachel explore the potential problems associated with daily dog daycare and frequent visits to the dog park. Could such routines lead to elevated cortisol levels that may hinder a dog's capacity for self-regulation.