Fitz Your Dog Ltd.

06/02/2026

Dogs don’t just need exercise.
They need opportunities to fully experience life. 🌿🐾

Sniffing.
Exploring.
Playing.
Social connection.
Movement.
Choice.
Interaction with the environment.

Dogs need more than just exercise. 🐾🌿

They need opportunities to sniff, explore, play, make choices, interact socially, and engage naturally with the world around them.

These experiences are incredibly important for emotional health, confidence, regulation, and overall welfare.

So many “behavior problems” are actually dogs struggling with stress, frustration, boredom, lack of agency, or unmet needs.

Enrichment is not extra.
It’s part of Total Welfare.

Understanding your dog changes everything. 💛

06/02/2026

Looking forward to this Saturday!! 😊🐾🙌

Make sure you come visit the first Petersfield Community Club Mallard Park Market this Saturday, June 6th, between 10:30am and 3:30pm! So many amazing vendors to see in Petersfield, Manitoba!
Tracy's Crafts
Delectable Bites By Jenn
Creations by Casper
Barkx Motel
Bison Liquors w/Simply Cocktails
Yves Scrollsaw Workshop
Fitz Your Dog Ltd
The Third Eye Vision Co
Geri Jones Beadwork
Laurie's Sewing Den
From Linda's Kitchen
Scentsy by Kelly
Maple Creek Woodworking & Crochet
Smiley Farmers
Valhalla Skull Arts
Rooted In Sass
Soul Rasayana
Pampered Chef by Gloria
Papa’s Bake House
Whispering Wings
Fae Forged Finery
Rosedee Crafts
Splinters by Design
Color Street by Brenda
Handmade Wishes
Happy Place Bath Bombs
My Cookie Jar
Mary Kay Cosmetics
Norwex by Darlene
Wood Creations by Jan
Plus we'll have amazing food served up by Big Daddy's Perogies, and Cole's Critters will have adoptables in the park, too!

06/02/2026

What if some of the behaviors we struggle with most
are actually signs that important needs are not being fully met?

Dogs were designed to explore, sniff, chew, play, investigate, problem solve, socialize, move, and interact with the world around them.

Behavior is not random.
𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Understanding what your dog needs — mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, and behaviorally — can completely change life with your dog.

This video shares part of that bigger picture:
helping dogs live fuller, healthier lives through understanding, enrichment, behavioral diversity, and Total Welfare.

If you’d like help understanding your dog better and learning how to meet their needs in ways that create a calmer, more connected life together, I’d love to help.

🎥 Video link in comments.

06/02/2026

At first glance, it might look like Herbie and Ginger aren’t doing much.

But if you watch closely, they’re actually very busy. 🐾

They’re sniffing.
Listening.
Observing.
Gathering information.
Following scents.
Making choices.
Interacting with their environment.

There’s a lot happening here.

One of the things I love most about these moments is that they bring a sense of peace and calm for all of us.

Enrichment doesn’t always look like running, chasing, or high-energy activity.

Sometimes needs are met through nature itself.

A quiet morning.
Fresh air.
Interesting scents.
The opportunity to explore.
The freedom to simply be a dog.

Behavioral diversity and Total Welfare don’t always look busy.

Sometimes they look exactly like this. 💚

06/02/2026

I'm excited to share that I have earned the designation of FDM Behavioral Diversity Welfare Analyst (FDM-BDWA) through the Canine Welfare and Behavioral Diversity – Total Welfare Ethogram Study Course.

This certification represents far more than completing a course. It reflects my ongoing commitment to understanding dogs more deeply and helping dogs and their people build better lives together.

Behavioral diversity, welfare, natural needs, and understanding behavior as information are at the heart of the work I do. The more we understand why dogs do what they do, the better equipped we are to support them, prevent problems, strengthen relationships, and improve welfare.

I am honoured to have been part of the inaugural class and grateful to learn alongside an incredible group of professionals who share a passion for creating a better future for dogs.

This is just the beginning. I am excited to continue bringing this knowledge to the families and dogs I work with through Fitz Your Dog.

Every day with Hogan, Ginger, Chico, Herbie and the dogs I work with reminds me that when we understand behavior through the lens of welfare and natural needs, everything changes.

🐾 Jodie Fitzgerald
Licensed Family Dog Mediator®
FDM Behavioral Diversity Welfare Analyst (FDM-BDWA)
Fitz Your Dog

06/01/2026

A tired dog is not always a fulfilled dog. 🐾

Dogs need more than physical exercise.

They need opportunities to:
• explore
• sniff
• problem-solve
• make choices
• interact socially
• feel safe
• engage naturally with their environment

These experiences matter for emotional health, confidence, regulation, and overall welfare.

So much of what people call “bad behavior” can actually be frustration, stress, boredom, unmet needs, or a lack of opportunities to simply be a dog.

Enrichment is not about constantly entertaining dogs.

It’s about helping them live fuller, healthier lives physically, mentally, emotionally, and behaviorally. 🌿

And honestly… when you start meeting those deeper needs, everything begins to change. 💛

05/31/2026

If your dog could tell you one thing…

What do you think it would be?

𝗡𝗼𝘁 the funny answers.
𝗡𝗼𝘁 the “more treats” ones.

The 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 one.

Would it be:

“I’m overwhelmed.”
“I don’t understand what you want.”
“I need more time.”
“I’m trying my best.”
“I don’t feel safe in that moment.”

This is the part that’s hard to sit with—

Because most behaviour isn’t disobedience.

It’s communication.

The barking.
The pulling.
The reactivity.
The inability to settle.

It’s not your dog being difficult.

It’s your dog trying to cope.

And when we start to see it that way…

We stop asking:
“How do I stop this?”

And we start asking:
“What is my dog trying to tell me?”

That’s where everything changes.🐾