From Ruff To Love

10/11/2025

Controversial take on reactivity?
You might already know that your energy matters and your tension will travel down the leash to your dog. But you're probably still using energy wrong.

Yes! Energy is a tool and if you can harness its power your walks will be much more enjoyable!

This may seem counterintuitive, but instead of lowering their arousal levels I increase them, by being exciting and offering play. I have found that reactive dogs I work with, will happily ignore their triggers for a chance to play with me.

DISCLAIMER: You must know your dog and find an appropriate level of arousal. The stronger your relationship of trust with your dog, the better this will work. This is just one tool of many when working witt a reactive dog.

Be a safe, confident (but not boring) leader to your dog. Know when to lower arousal and when to use it to your advantage.

Most important, have fun with your dog!

DM to book a private session or a dog walk plus for your reactive pup.

10/04/2025

Don't Stop the Barking! Imagine someone told you to stop talking when you are trying to communicate something very important to you?! Our goal should not be to remove voice from our dogs, but to teach them to communicate with us effectively. This starts with us. We need to learn what our dogs are saying to convey to them that we are listening.

Use this fun quiz to guess why your dog might be barking. Knowing motivation behind behaviour is the first step in modifying it.

DM me to schedule a consultation to find out how you can be a fair leader to your dog and curtail their barking.

10/02/2025

RANT Incoming: Relationship Based Training is NOT Permissive Training

I came across a comment on social media knocking relationship based approach to training, because they said a relationship will not protect their dog from running off, but strict obedience will.

Let's set the record straight, Relationship-Based training does not mean we don't teach our dogs manners. What it means, is ethical and empathetic approach focused on your DOG's WELLBEING and building up their sense of TRUST and SAFETY around you.

The result is your dog deferring to you for guidance when faced with triggers and novel situations. It is a confident and resilient dog who is allowed to think for themselves and CHOOSES to WORK WITH YOU.

Obedience tricks are just that - TRICKS. Which are great and we love teaching tricks and incorporating them into our programs, but it is not enough if you actually want to affect your dog's underlying emotions and associated behaviour. The more your dog trusts you, the better they will deal in an upsetting situation and the easier it will be to teach them new skills.

Especially with recall! If you are valuable to the dog, you can build a strong, reliable recall, without punishment or old-school obedience mind set.

You dog still learns. We do teach them, and the learning happens in a way that actually makes sense to your dog. Keep in mind too that when you punish a dog for their choices, you are eroding their self confidence and their trust in you. Please set up your dog for success when teaching them.

My goal is to help clients live in harmony with their dogs. I don't believe in perfection in our daily lives, because that is unrealistic. We don't have this impossible standard for humans, so why is it fair to hold our dogs up to it? By shifting our mindset to empathy and biologically appropriate fulfillment for our dogs, we can find compromises that work for the family. I guarantee you and your dog will feel less stressed and you will enjoy your time together a lot more, when there is empathy, trust and safety between you.

10/01/2025

Avoid these common pitfalls if you want your dog to stay and relax on their place no matter what is happening around them! DM us if you need help relaxing your pup.🐶

09/27/2025

Or do you have the opposite problem of your dog getting too wound up and excited in the car no matter the context? 😅

09/27/2025

Great reminder how we inadvertently can poison our cues.

Sometimes works but not anymore?
That’s often because an association has formed. We humans slip into habits, and dogs can learn them fast.

Calling your dog when you know they won’t come?
They’ve heard you, but they’re not listening.
That repetition weakens the cue, or worse, poisons it.

Perhaps they don’t know it well enough, it hasn’t been proofed in other environments, or a negative association has been made. That negative association? That's a common poisoned cue cause.

Take recall for example.
How do you use the word "come".
At the field when play is over, clip on the lead and head home?
For nail trims or bath time? Same word?

Over time, the word stops meaning “good things happen” and starts meaning “fun is over”, or worse, “something unpleasant happens.”

It can be the tone, the association, or just overuse.
And have you noticed, the more frustrated you get, the less they listen?

Poisoning a cue is easy to fall into and it takes focused, positive practice to undo.

09/24/2025

Should we curb our dogs' barking? When is Barking a problem? Barking is one of the natural ways for dogs to express themselves and we should accept that it is part of their language. Unfortunately, living as pet dogs, their communication often gets misinterpreted and/or not listened to and the barking escalates to "yelling" to have us hear them. The constant yelling leads to chronic stress. Stress causes them to over react and "yell" more. It's a vicious cycle, but we can help them! Once we understand the cause and motivation behind the barking, we identify ways to minimize it. Remember, our goal should be to minimize barking and limit it acceptable communication levels, never 100% elimination. Dogs deserve a voice too.

DM us to book a consult if you are struggling with your dog's barking.

09/23/2025

The quickest way to boost your dog's confidence is to teach them new tricks! Yes, even old dogs can learn new tricks. Caveat is you have to make it fun, and consent based. If your dog does not want to engage, respect their "no". Consent, choice, autonomy and fun will get your dog using their brains and you will train a confident, resilient pup who can self regulate in the face of triggers. No punishments are necessary when you get your dog's brain working!!!

DM us to book a consult to see how this can work for your reactive dog.

09/21/2025

While we all wish we had a magic easy way to get the behaviours we want, the truth is, training journey is not black & white. There will be situations where I will tell you to not talk to your dog, or that it might really help if you do leash them to yourself. However, I will never tell you to dominate or alpha roll your dog. I advocate for the dog's well being and I teach you how to be a gracious Leader and Team mate with your dog. Connection over Perfection!

09/16/2025

The only limiting factor to how many dogs you should have is how many can fit with you in the bathroom. 🚽❤️🐕🐕🐕 Privacy is for the non-pet people.

Does your bathroom squad need help getting along? We can help. Reach out to us to find out more.

05/20/2025

Context Matters! 🕵️‍♀️🐾

A snapshot only shows a split second. When reading dog body language, we must dig deeper and look at the full picture. Before you assume, ask yourself:

🦴 Is that panting from play, or stress relief?
🦴 Did that ear flip from flopping on the couch, or is it held back from anxiety?
🦴 Is the squint a sign of contentment or a calming signal?
🦴 What happened right before this moment?

Put your detective skills to the test and tell us what You think is happening in this photo.

📩 DM us if you want help decoding your dog’s signals!

05/19/2025

Why Most Dogs Dislike Being Approached from Above 🐾

In this clip, the dog offers several cues of discomfort: turning and looking away, lip licking, and most noticeably lowering and spreading the ears. These cues are often missed in our eagerness to connect, especially when the dog appears to tolerate the interaction. However, repeated disregard of the dog's comfort level can lead to Sensitization, where the dog becomes increasingly stressed by touch or handling. Left unaddressed, this accumulated stress may surface later as fear, reactivity, or even aggression. Respectful observation and response are key to preventing long-term behavioral fallout.

In this case, the dog’s trust in his guardian allows him to tolerate the brief discomfort. That trust was earned through consistent respect for his autonomy. This demonstration was kept intentionally brief and followed by enrichment activities to maintain the dog's emotional balance.

We can build resilience by creating a safe and respectful environment where our dogs feel heard and supported. Think of every positive interaction as a deposit into your dog’s “resiliency account.” Negative experiences, on the other hand, act as withdrawals. The goal is to keep that emotional bank account in the positive. A dog that trusts you does not need to rely on obedience training - they will choose to cooperate, because they feel safe.

Trust leads to true partnership.

✅ Key Reminders:
• Most dogs are uncomfortable with overhead approaches
• Watch for subtle signals: ear position, lip licks, head turns
• Respect what your dog is telling you—pause or stop when needed
• Approach from the side, and allow for breaks during petting
• Let your dog decide whether to continue physical interaction

Let’s continue to prioritize consent, communication, and cooperation with our dogs. 🐾✨

📣 Want to build trust and confidence through consent-based communication? Let’s connect.