Leader of the Pack

02/13/2021

Things are starting to heat up here in La Paz... my friend came upon some dogs locked in a car at Walmart yesterday... here is a little article I wrote a few years ago about hot weather safety for your furry friends.

02/13/2021

Stacey Bucca, remember this wonderful day? Such happy pups and friends

08/15/2020

Very good advice

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇
The Sniff test - Stop doing that!
The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & the reason a lot of dogs snap at or bite people. This can cause alot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so can end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand so you back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand.Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?
⚠Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.
⚠Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.
⚠Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.
⚠Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

07/21/2019

I love that my vet clinic allows me to stay with Ellie for all
Her routine vaccinations, blood work, xrays etc. I would be looking for another clinic if they didn’t.

Pet parents are what psychologists and animal behaviorists call a stable attachment base for their pets. Our presence reassures our animals and helps them handle scary situations with less stress a…

07/21/2019

Worth a re visit

5 ways to prevent neck injuries Before you start reading the following lines, I invite you to do a little...

07/14/2019

Cannot stress enough the importance of socializing your puppy as soon as soon as she gets home.

It’s a common scenario. You’ve just brought home your new puppy. Eight weeks old, all roly-poly fluff and cute as a button. You’ve heard that puppies need to be “socialized,” and you definitely pl…

07/01/2019

One of the hardest things to do is introduce new dogs into an existing pack. This article pretty much hits it spot on.

I'm about to have some houseguests arrive, and they'll be here for a few days. Why am I telling you this, you ask? Well, it turns out that they have a black lab mix - he's young, a bit spastic, and he has been known to be aggressive with other dogs.

06/09/2019

It’s that time of year again. Please leave your pets at home in hot weather!

Never leave your dog in a car on a hot day—and make sure you recognize the warning signs of heatstroke.

05/21/2019

As the hot season is almost upon us, this is a good number to have.

04/27/2019

An important read. Our big girls are walked on harness.

Should these types of collars be banned in favor of force-free alternatives?