There For You Dog Training

05/22/2026

My own dog, Roo, gets very fearful when people try to put a hand out to her. Before I let anyone interact with her, I advocate for her and go over her "Roo Rules" which include not putting their hands out, not staring directly at her, and not learning over her. For not only Roo, but many dogs, these behaviors from us can make them very nervous and potential feel the need to ask for space in loud ways like biting.
Don't be afraid to advocate for your dog and let people know how they prefer to interact before allowing them to do so.

Let’s talk about the “magica hand.”

Well meaning people reach out their hand so a dog can sniff and make friends. For some dogs, that is fine. For others, it is the fastest way to get bitten.

A reaching hand can:
• Feel invasive
• Reduce distance
• Corner the dog
• Predict restraint

Some dogs have learned that biting makes the hand go away quickly.

A better option:
Allow the dog to approach if they choose.
Ignore them until they initiate affiliative behavior.
Watch body language carefully.

And if:
🚫 You are unsure about what you are seeing
🚫 There is a bite history
🚫 Handling is not necessary

Walking away is the safest choice.

Preventing bites is often about reducing unnecessary pressure.


Dog Illustrations by The Drawables, Owned By: Liz V.

05/09/2026

I'm here at Mountain Pet Rescue Asheville adoption event at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center from 12-3pm with some fun activities and treats! Come by and potentially meet your new furry family member 💜

05/07/2026

Understanding aggression means understanding build-up. Aggression isn’t random. It isn’t “out of nowhere.” And it usually isn’t about a single moment.

Imagine aggression like an explosion. Two elements are required:
🛢️ The fuel tank
🔥 The match

The fuel tank is everything that builds over time:
• Chronic pain
• Sleep disruption
• Environmental stress
• Medical changes
• Hormonal shifts
• Hunger or thirst
• Loud noises (thunder, fireworks, construction, etc)
• Changes in routine
• Lack of exercise/enrichment
• Owner’s emotional state

The match is the immediate trigger:
• A stranger entering the home
• A hand reaching toward food
• A dog approaching too quickly
• A collar grab

The match matters.

But without fuel, there is seldom an explosion.

If we only focus on the moment of the outburst, we stay reactive. If we reduce the fuel and manage the matches, we prevent the explosion. And if we help the dog feel safe, we make explosions less likely to happen, even when a match is lit.

This framework is one of the foundations we teach inside the Aggression in Dogs Master Course because prevention starts long before the bite.

04/15/2026

04/05/2026

Happy Easter! Here's an older video of Roo finding her own Easter eggs! This was before she knew the "find it" game, so I had to lead her a little, but it was still a fun activity for us to do together.
Nosework games like this are fantastic for dogs as a fun hobby to help relieve boredom.

03/03/2026

How cute is this? I'll be vending at this new event: an Easter egg hunt for your dogs! I hope to see you there!

02/03/2026

The weirdest stuff we ask of our dogs or think of as problems but if we were describing ourselves it would be totally okay and normal. Like -

“Doesn’t like to be restrained”

“Really hates strange men touching her”

“Gets nervous in public”

“Doesn’t like children pulling on her ears”

“Can get snappy when startled or woken up quickly”

“Hates when people touch her while she’s eating”

All these things would completely NORMAL for a person, and yet for dogs they are deemed as “problems” that we need to fix.

So, let’s try it. Describe yourself as a dog, and all the things about you that if you were a dog wouldn’t be okay. I’ll go first -

Meet Helen, she loves everyone, although as shes gotten older shes more wary of strangers. She gets anxious by loud noises and big crowds but does settle down if you give her a favorite snack. She doesn’t like to share her food, gets overstimulated quickly and hates being moved once she’s sleeping. She also cannot stand having her feet touched, in any way. She prefers being out in nature and will snap if she’s feeling tired or sore from the day. Not very obedient and likes to do her own thing, definitely needs to be motivated to do something she doesn’t like.

Now you!

01/30/2026

I am participating in Misfit Mountain's Lonely Dog Club this year! Anyone that fills out a form online for either my dog training or pet portrait art services this day and follows through, I'll be pledging part of the cost to this rescue.
If you have any questions please reach out! You can find my forms, services, prices, and pet portrait art on my website at thereforyoudogtraining.com

12/29/2025

Management. This is a key word in helping your dog succeed in many scenarios.
We use management more than you may think. Some examples include:
🐾 Using a leash to prevent your dog from jumping on someone while they learn not to do this.
🐾 Using a crate to stop destructive chewing when a puppy can't be supervised.
🐾 Using a gate to prevent your dog from running out the door.
🐾 Walking your reactive dog in a secluded area to give them a break from seeing their triggers.
🐾 Using baby gates to keep animals separated while you slowly introduce them to each other.
🐾 Using a muzzle to stop a dog from eating things off the ground while they learn a solid "leave it" or are figuring out medical issues... and more!

12/04/2025