Helping Hounds Dog Training

05/11/2025

Building a Amazon List of My Favorite Things Dog! What do you want to see? Enrichment, play, grooming, treats, gear, or something else?

West Paw Zogoflex Toppl Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Puzzle Play Toy, 100% Guaranteed Tough, It Floats!, Made in USA, Small, Granny Smith

03/05/2025

You can make the biggest impact with donations until 6pm. are all needing funds especially with the many budget cuts now!

Help Girls Empowerment Network FUNraiser Amplify Austin's fundraiser efforts for Amplify Austin Day 2025

11/09/2023

You do doesn't need to say hi to dogs or people...

EVEN TO BE SOCIALIZED! 👏👏👏

Some dogs might not have the same level of sociability as others, and that's perfectly acceptable.

Each dog has a unique personality, and much like people, they have their own preferences for social interaction. It's important to recognise and respect these differences.

A dog who seems more reserved or less inclined to engage with strangers isn't necessarily unfriendly or ill-tempered; they may simply prefer a more solitary environment or choose to interact primarily with their familiar companions.

When you encounter a dog whose interest in socialising isn't immediately evident, it's courteous to give them space.

Forcing interaction can be overwhelming and uncomfortable for them. By respecting their preference to keep to themselves, you demonstrate understanding and kindness towards their individual temperament.

Recognising and honouring each dog's personality not only contributes to their sense of security but also fosters a more respectful and trusting relationship between humans and dogs.

07/02/2023

Welcome Mochi to the Helping Hounds Dog Training!

She rocked her day training today and was well behaved, especially, for a sweet 4 month old golden.

Check out our Instagram versus reality on the last picture. She was uber excited to have a piece of watermelon for her pretty patient sit.

**NOW OFFERING** day training out of my home.
Work on LLW (loose lessh walking), counter surfing, settling, rules with furniture, play, potty training, and so much more!
DM for details to get your pup on the right paw.

07/02/2023

Start prepping for your pets now.
Treat every night until 2 days after the fourth of July, like the fourth of July, because people are going to get fireworks, and then are going to shoot them off (YES I am ranking to you Judy in the quiet cul-de-sac in town) When you least expect it and you don't want to be scrambling then.

Great for anxious pups that you already know of, great for brand new puppies, so they don't become anxious, great for everyone, cuz you never know when the firework is just too close.

Things to think about...

choose that they really like
Kongs stuffed with peanut butter or their meals for them to mentally exhaust themselves throughout the day
Noise-canceling music
Bring them into the closet rather than being on a room that's in on an exterior wall of your house

Don't I repeat DONT take them to the fireworks display!!! Leave them at home where they are comfortable. Leave the TV on for themand leave the overhead lights on so they can't see the flashesof lights.

Have a question or need more creative ideas? 💡

Need an urgent consult to see how to best set up or help your pup
Get with me. Virtual and in person appointments filling fast!

07/29/2022

07/03/2022

https://www.facebook.com/57800002/posts/10101126004455419/?sfnsn=mo

05/19/2022

Got a new puppy? You don't have to go at this alone. Let me help you learn to read your pup and help them be the best they can be.

This is a good illustration of puppy socialization needs, shared from Good as Gold Training, but I would also add that all of the listed exposure and experience needs to feel *safe* for the puppy. If s/he is nervous, tentative, or fearful the fear should be handled by backing off a little and reintroducing very slowly and with lots of praise, food and patience. Sometimes, for the sake of "socialization", owners push their puppies too far and too fast, and it can backfire. Good socialization requires that we "read" our puppies and help them feel safe as they navigate the sounds, textures, people and animals in their new world.

05/19/2022

Walks are looking a bit different over here now.

How are walks going for you?

05/14/2022

How can you help?!

We're going to be really honest with you, things feel very overwhelming and scary right now. This picture shows all the crates lining our hallways, filled with dogs with no kennel to go to. The world has changed and continues to change, and we're facing never before seen levels of issues that are stacking up on top of each other.

LESS HUMANPOWER
The pandemic imploded everything, including our volunteer, foster, and staffing numbers. We've been trying to build the numbers back up, but the nationwide hiring difficulties has made it even harder to get staff onboard. Less staff means less resources to devote to expanding volunteer and foster programming.

MORE ANIMALS
More and more people are losing their homes because of eviction, rent increases, and job loss. It's getting harder to find an affordable place that will accept animals regardless of breed or size. People are facing the heartbreaking decision between a roof over their own head and keeping a beloved pet.

LESS ADOPTIONS
That also means less and less people are coming through our doors looking for a new family member. We understand and appreciate that people are thoughtfully deciding that adopting isn't a good financial decision right now! But we're having trouble adopting out even our easiest to place pets.

MORE LONGSTAYS
At a recent conference, our staff learned that the average length of stay for a medium/large dog in US shelters has doubled. We currently have 34 dogs housed here at the shelter who have been with us for over 6 months. Many are looking for that "unicorn" home - low traffic with no kids and no other pets - which can take a long time to find. Longer stays lead to more kennel stress, causing frantic behavior which can be off-putting to adopters and fosters.

LESS FOSTERS
Unfortunately we're also seeing a decline in people fostering. At this time of year, kittens barely touch the kennel before a foster snaps them up. However, even these are taking longer to find fosters. We also have tons of wonderful people who would like to help but have full households or lifestyles that don't fit many of our medium/large dogs' needs.

MORE FOCUS ON SURVIVAL THAN THRIVING
We have so many ideas and dreams, but our staff and resources often have to be reactive rather than proactive just to keep our heads above water. When we only have a third of the normal number of animal care staff working on Sundays, they and our amazing volunteers do the best they can but it often isn't the level of care they want to provide.

LESS TRANSFERS
Our partners are also seeing declines in adoptions and increases in animals needing help, which means they're full and unable to pull animals from us.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The US is experiencing a shelter crisis regarding medium/large dogs right now. "Unprecedented times" is a phrase we use often, but there truly is no better way to describe what we're all facing.

We're not giving up. We will continue to chip away at each issue and search for solutions. Our dedicated staff and volunteers continue to come in and face these challenges day after day because of their passion and love for the animals in our care.

How can you help?

VOLUNTEER: bit.ly/volunteeraac

FOSTER: bit.ly/fosteraac

ADOPT: bit.ly/AdoptAAC

REACH OUT FOR HELP: If you need pet food or other supplies, please email [email protected]

REUNITE: bit.ly/lostfoundaac