Custom Canines - Kristin Castro

06/18/2025

The two princesses from different kingdoms, Bess and Sophie, returned to camp for boarding while their families were out of town. They may be treated like princesses, but they love to kick the dust up while here at camp.

06/18/2025

Fred, the Golden Retriever, stopped in for some boarding camp while his people were out of town. We had a nice walk around the park with our trainer friend and her board and train visitor. Once dogs have been taught skills to be successful, it is important that get the opportunity to practice their skills in real life situations, like a park busy with people, kids, dogs, geese, bikes, cars, etc. We can only expect fluency if we have opportunities to practice.

06/18/2025

Ozzie, the stock guardian, graduated from his four week board and train camp! Ozzie lives in a full house with his two adults and two favorite kiddos. They were struggling with his on leash reactivity to people, sneaking off to go to the bathroom in the house, jumping on people, mouthiness, pushiness, and recall. They were told management with a crate would be impossible for him. Ozzie has the makings of a great family dog and needed some clear instructions on what that looked like and how to be successful. While here he built social skills with other dogs and neutrality to them when on walks. He now has solid off leash recall so he can go on adventures with his family and a routine, that includes time in his crate, to help him be successful with his potty habits. He gets his mental and gentetic needs met in addition to his physical needs. He has learned how humans like to interact and to respect healthy boundaries. Ozzie is a gem of a dog! Go team Ozzie!

05/08/2025

Bodhi, the lab/border collie mix has one week left of his four week board and train and is a star student! He came to build confidence, work through reactivity toward other dogs, refresh some obedience and leash walking skills, and gain off leash freedom. Learning that he can trust his people to advocate for his needs and keep dogs respectful has allowed him to feel safe and be curious and neutral instead of defensive.

05/07/2025

📈Several years ago a research study found a CORRELATING between feeding grain free dog foods and heart disease in dogs. A correlation is not cause and effect but shows where more research is needed. If your dog is a breed prone to murmurs and heart disease, take it more seriously.

🫘A number of dogs have allergies to grains (corn and wheat at the top of the list) so grain free food was created and took off in popularity. Legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans) are often found in grain free dog foods as a replacement filler for carbs (grains) and protein.

💝A lack of taurine can aid in heart disease. Taurine is found in quality MEATS and ORGANS. Past research has show that a high quantity of legumes in a diet can inhibit or block the intake of taurine. Recent research shows that peas are the worst. Even if Taurine is added, the dog may not benefit from it.

🚨This does not mean that your dog needs grains. It does mean

🍗 Choose a diet with actual meat as the first and main ingredient(s). Not “by-product”, “meal”, or fillers.
🍖 Choose a diet without grains or legumes.
🌾 Choose a diet with healthier grains, but still an ample amount of meat. No corn or rice.
🤤You can alternate between diets.

There is much more, but these are some of the big ones. If you are concerned, speak to a canine nutritionist instead of a general practitioner.

04/16/2025

Congratulation Fred, the Golden Retriever, on completing our three week board and train! Fred lacked confidence with guests entering the home, refused to come when called when he was having too much fun, and had sled dog tendencies on leash. While here we worked on building confidence, impulse control, and creating a clear communication system so both ends of the leash could be successful. He now walks nicely as a partner, can enjoy off leash freedoms WITH his people, and is more secure with guests at home. Way to go team Fred!

04/16/2025

Congratulations to Bernie, the puppy Bernadoodle, for completing our two week puppy board and train!Bernie’s family have been struggling to keep up with this busy puppy and decided there’s no better time to start training than now. While here we started teaching Bernie the basics of engagement, rules of play, basic puppy manners, and socialized and confidence building by having positive experiences with new things. Bernie will be returning for an adolescent board and train to work on more skills once his puppy brain is ready for more complex skills

02/02/2025

We still have spots available for our first Healthy Dog workshop of 2025! Join us to learn more about how you can help your dog feel their best through their bowl! 😍

10/31/2024

09/09/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

09/06/2024

Just a few shots of Bess enjoying her summer boarding. While her people enjoy their vacation, Bess got to enjoy her own mini vacation with pool time to stay cool, hiking, and healthy socialization.

06/11/2024

Recent research findings on recommended minimum age for neutering depending on breed. The study looks at a variety of health challenges. Age may vary based on psychological maturity and behavior.

I generally recommend waiting until at least a year and ideally two years for any breed to allow healthy mind and body growth.

Updated information from the University of California study on the effects of spay/neutering.

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/when-should-you-neuter-or-spay-your-dog