Canine Confidence

Canine Confidence My name is Lauren Gargano and I am a Fear Free & Karen Pryor Certified Dog Trainer

06/02/2026

Meet Maggie 🥹😍😭 Even though she made me bleed with her baby shark teeth, she is perfect (and Mom is so patient with her 🥰)!

Biting puppies is always something I get asked about, which I understand because it hurts! Puppies/dogs naturally use their mouths to do things (especially dogs bred to use their mouths for a job, like Retrievers 🙃). Our job is to teach them acceptable ways to do that through toys, chew bones, redirection, and training. We do not want to punish a puppy for biting. Punishing a puppy means humans become unpredictable and can cause frustration, which can lead to other problems later. *Also, the number ONE reason puppies get extra bitey is they have not had enough SLEEP! They need 18-20 hours per day, which is a LOT! They can also get bitey when they want to play, go potty outside, are hungry, etc. It is like when a human baby is crying and you have to figure out the underlying reason and fix it! This is how puppies communicate and explore! Remember these things if you think about getting a puppy 😉

05/31/2026

Accidental enrichment 🤷‍♀️ I'm not the most graceful/coordinated person! I was attempting to do some meal prepping this week and dropped peas and carrots all over the floor 🤦‍♀️ Everyone thought I did it on purpose so I just let them have at it for a few minutes! The nice thing about having Retrievers, I had nothing to clean up afterwards 🤣 *I do also have other colored animals, this was just a happy accident!

05/30/2026

Buddy needed belly rub breaks between using his brain cells yesterday 🤣 This guy is 100% GOODEST boy! To think other people in the past had issues with him is crazy. He is actually fairly smart and catches on quickly to new things. It is only my second time seeing him and I can tell Mom has been practicing because the jumping was MINIMAL compared to my first visit a couple of weeks ago 🙌 Keep up the great work, so glad Buddy found you 💜

05/29/2026

Someone put in the hard work last night 🤣 Mabel was so exhausted she went straight to napping! She worked really hard on her stay and walking, so she deserved a nice break 💜 She is such a sweet girl and doing great working towards her CGC with all of the hard work at home!

05/27/2026

Graduation day for these cuties! 🥰 Graduation day is always tough. The tests they aced, but getting them to sit still for pictures... 🙃 This was a fantastic group of pups!

05/26/2026

The pups got to check out a new store yesterday (and they did wonderful 🧡)! Bringfido.com is an awesome resource to find local dog friendly establishments such as parks, restaurants, shopping, hotels, etc. There are some places that might not be listed, so if you aren't sure about their policies, calling to ask is a great idea!

Now that we are finally having nicer weather, it's a nice option to be able to bring your pup with you. However, be mindful of how they are feeling. For example, after this outing we went to Lowe's but they were SO busy, we decided to leave the pups in the truck (turned on & locked) while we ran on to grab a few things (everyone has preferences/opinions on this subject, but this works well for us). Also, remember to bring plenty of water for them and other possible necessities (p**p bags, wet wipes, food, bowl, etc.).

*If your dog is struggling or not ready for a public environment, small amounts of time is key, leave and try another day if it's too much, or leave them at home for that trip out after you have met their needs 💜

BringFido: Pet Friendly Hotels & Dog Travel Directory https://share.google/cbYwKnTpsrDlIkF5X

05/24/2026

Practice your recall when you DON'T need it! This will help create a reliable recall when you do need it 😉
Think of your recall like a bank account.
Calling your dog and reinforcing them with food, tug, environment, etc. = Money in 💰
Calling your dog to come inside, leave the dog park, etc. = Money out 💸
The more 'money in' you have will create a reliable recall so when you need to make that 'withdrawal' (because you will need to make those at some point), it won't hurt anything!
I did not have food on me during this walk, but I praised them and released them back to the environment because it was much more reinforcing than food for them in this situation 🧡
*We are on private property. I do not condone walking dogs off leash in public spaces (regardless of how good your dog's recall is) where the environment is not controlled for their safety, your safety, and the public's safety. Please be responsible and considerate of others.*

05/23/2026

This handsome boy is Bucky! He is a VERY sweet, outgoing boy who is lacking some impulse control in his adolescence. Honestly, I love getting breaks to see these dogs because I feel like it isn't as common for me to see the happy go lucky, crazy, normal teenage dog. The good news is we have some things we are going to be working on to improve his manners and impulse control 😉 Keep up the great work Bucky 🤎

05/22/2026

Dogs surprise me sometimes. We don't go to Dairy Queen often. They were very nice and offered the boys whipped cream so of course I said yes! The dogs felt differently 🤣 They said Dairy Queen whipped cream is not the same as Starbucks whipped cream! 🤦‍♀️

05/20/2026

Do you let your dogs pick out items? There are a lot of times I just give my dogs something to chew on or a toy, but they do find pleasure in picking something out that THEY prefer! You can try laying out a number of toys/chews and see which one they would rather have! Giving them choices is awesome, because we are usually making the majority of their choices for them every single day (when they eat, what they eat, when to use the restroom, when to play, when to go outside, where to go, etc.). Another option would be taking them to a pet friendly store to pick out a toy or chew/bone! I love watching their excitement and watching them go through the options 🥰

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