Chien ZEN Dog - Nicole Lapratte CBCC-ka

14/11/2025

"J'ai décidé de régler le problème d'anxiété de mon chien : j'ai commandé un supplément naturel calmant!"

Réalité : Aucun produit, supplément, odeur ou accessoire miracle ne peut régler l'anxiété à lui seul.

La vraie recette contre l'anxiété chez le chien : un accompagnement professionnel, un protocole d'entraînement sérieux, parfois combinés à des aides naturelles et souvent la médication.

Contactez-nous! www.thelearneddog.com

13/11/2025

Any small step forward is indeed progress :)

10/11/2025

An “emotional issue” is VERY different from a “training issue”.
We know the difference and take action accordingly and humanely❣️🐾♥️

09/11/2025

“How much time will it take?” Is a question that we get all the time… And our answer is - It depends.
And it truly does depend on many variables.

Stop with the chopping and changing.
Stick with your plan✅
But, it may need tweaked,
Make sense? Not really, but let me explain a wee bit more.

You have a plan, thought about it, have a distance in mind away from the trigger to start with and you're aware of thresholds and keeping them under.
You've also worked out an appropriate place to do this work.
Your training pouch is full of high value rewards.
Perfect start!

You've been doing this for three or four weeks or longer and not much has changed.
They still react if their distance isn't respected.
That is completely normal. Completely.
It does not mean your plan it isn't working.
Progress with reactive dogs can be slow.
Sometimes painfully "snail pace" slow.
Why? Because emotional safety takes time to change.

Can some dogs change quickly? Absolutely!
Some dogs are incredibly resilient and a small amount can amaze us with their progress.
For the majority though it takes patience time and consistency.
You do it and stick with it "until".

However, there is always a time for tweaking your well thought out plan.
Though there is a very fine balance of tweaking it and staying consistent.
That's trickiest for most people to critically look at.
If you chop and change your approach or what you have been doing too soon or add in too much, your progress will be stalled or worse, lost completely.
The rules have now changed and your dog knows it.
They were just starting to feel better, small signs may have been there or they were just on the cusp.
Now, that safety and security they were feeling could be gone.

Don't change the plan unless you are sure it needs changed.

Maybe they are over threshold much more than you think they should be?
Are they stressed now in the same area you were working in?
Do they refuse the high value rewards?
Has their body language changed?
Are they more vocal?
More intense?

All valid reasons to reassess, but cautiously.

08/11/2025

THIS!!!
Very often dogs approach humans to gather more information - NOT necessarily to be touched or acknowledged!

See that long neck stretch?
They're elongating it to reach you
It can be a sign they're a little unsure of getting closer but they still need information to make them feel safe.

It's not a green light to touch.
They want some more info about you and need to get quite close (or even touch) to get it. So should you let a dog just sniff you up close?
That depends.
How would you feel about that?

Dogs do this to feel secure and assess us.
However, we need to feel that same security and take the time to assess them.
Safety goes both ways here.

If you're nervous or anxious, then having a dog approach and bury their nose into you wouldn't be a wise idea.
The second they have sensed you are not comfortable with them, they can react.

The vast majority of dogs are not aggressive at all, but a small number can react when they feel unsure or unsafe.

If you don't want them to approach, speak up and tell the person.
Get a feel for each other at a distance, where the pressure is off both of you. You may need a visit or two until some trust is built and then you may decide a big ole wet nose on your hand or smelling your leg is something you would be more comfortable with.

Everyone's comfort and safety matters.

07/11/2025

"They trust me, they took the food"!
Food really must be used carefully and respectfully or it can cause big problems.
For a dog it can create a desire to be closer without being emotionally ready to be that close.

This is often seen with dogs in a new home or when meeting new people.
It isn't a "they've taken food, now they're good" sign.
It means they are torn between two emotions.
They can be drawn to, but fearful at the exact same time.

Can food help?
Yes, of course, but with an anxious dog it needs to be introduced with thought and care.
Feeling safe needs to come first or we can prolong a dogs worry and discomfort.

Conflicted dogs are sometimes difficult to spot.
They may appear confident.
They may approach and then back off (with or without food).
They may want to be near or close to a human but we can miss the low head and those "slicked" back ears that tell us they're uncomfortable.

These dogs are well and truly torn between a want and a worry.
Their safety and comfort needs to be the priority here.
Not food.

07/11/2025

05/11/2025

Getting an Adult or Rescue Dog:
Adoption Tips and Cautions
There are some amazing adult dogs available in Canada for adoption but you need to do your homework first.
Learn more https://capdt.ca/getting-a-rescue-dog/

05/11/2025

They're just "off".
Something has unsettled them and we just cant see it.
There's no dog around.
No people either, but they are struggling.
Time to look a bit deeper.

Candles, diffusers and even a change of your perfume can be deeply unsettling for a dog.
If you have two dogs and need to take one to the vet or the groomers, sometimes the welcome home is confusing.
Colder or even aggressive.
Their friend looks the same but they smell totally different (and scent is everything to a dog).

Of course dogs can be stressed by storms but before that thunder and lightning they may be acutely aware of a change in the atmosphere, long before we even notice.
It doesn't need to be an actual storm either, a change of weather is sometimes enough to unsettle dogs.

Those ultrasonic devices we have in our homes, the pest control devices can cause dogs anxiety but so can our modern TVs and devices on standby. Some can emit high frequency sounds that we can barely hear. Even a heat pump turning itself on and off and adjusting output can trigger dogs and even the compressor unit outside cause stress.

We often think of triggers they can see and miss all the other ways our dogs can be affected.

Back to the candles, oil burners and plug in air freshener units for a second.
They may be pleasant for us, but deeply disturbing for a dog.
For some dogs, they can really take a toll.

Maybe rethink if you really need them.

You may be surprised just how relaxed your dog is when you don't use them.

03/11/2025