Fortunate Fido

16/08/2025

Eddy and his brother are in my cooperative care program learning to get all the handling! Here (when Eddy isn't being naughty) were working on clipping his nails.

Before this point we worked on:
- calm settling
- (work in progress for this guy) impulse control around food
- paw targeting
- handing a paw over
- handing a paw over with duration of me holding it
- good feelings about nail clippers
- nail clippers nearby during paw handling
- duration of me holding paw as I line up the clippers
- duration of the clippers lined up with the nail ready to clip
- clipping the nail

I left the part of him stealing the treats in because what's just as important as seeing how your trainer teaches and builds up skills is seeing how they handle mistakes! This was my mistake, not his, so I set the environment up better so it's less tempting and less likely to happen again and I make sure to cue him when I want him to grab the treats clearly.

My cooperative care programs are Day Training programs during the day while you're at work for your dog to learn and practice all things handling. We go at their pace, so it's a program that can be taken multiple times (just like my homeschooling) and it grows with your dog.

With Eddy, we've worked on: stethoscopes, an otoscope, vet wrap, nail clippers, nail files, using a scratchboard, a chin rest, looking at his teeth, and having him soak his paws!

The sky is the limit and this might be one of my FAVORITE things to help dogs with. Having a dog with health and pain issues in his feet, I know how hard handling can be and how to go at a speed that ensures the dog is comfortable and confident with the process.

09/08/2025

If you're looking for a place to rent that's indoors, air conditioned, and private, this place is awesome! The owners are so nice and they'll accommodate reactive dogs as well!

they have a lot of fun stuff to play with like jumps, weave poles, treadmills, and more. They also have a very nice matted floor so your dog has traction and can play safely!

Treat your pup to an evening at the DOG GYM! We still have a couple spots available for tonight! 🐶🎾🦴

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WHAT DO WE OFFER? 👉🏼 A rentable, 100% private, climate-controlled indoor play space. Reserve 30 or 60 minutes. Stocked with pup-tastic enrichment equipment, toys, yummy treats, and tons of fun! 💕

👉🏼 Our base price includes up to 2 dogs, and you can add up to 3 additional dogs for an extra fee.

🎉 In addition to playtime and training, our Dog Enrichment Center can also serve as an event space for doggie birthday parties and other celebrations!

The trail starts here!! 💚🐶🦴

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30/07/2025

When working with a reactive dog I scope out trails first and avoid ones that are really narrow, that are surrounded on both sides with dense vegetation (no escape if a trigger pops up!), that have slippery footing (could slip and hurt the human and the dog if the dog pulls towards a trigger), short lines of sight (can't see triggers before they appear!), and ones that are busy (especially at the start of our reactivity work).

It's important to set your dog up for success when you're choosing training areas, but remember most parks have a lot of options. For example, this is the same area as my post from yesterday, just a few seconds away actually!

29/07/2025

When I'm working with reactive dogs I look for wide open parks so I can see who is where, tons of opportunities for smelling (to help dogs calm down and give them something to focus on besides triggers), low to moderate traffic (so we don't get overwhelmed!), and ideally multiple or large parking lots so I can park away from all the action!

22/07/2025

Bear is having a great time during his training walks! We have been working on his reactivity through a mix of homeschooling once a week and two day a week training walks!

This setup gives him lots of opportunities to practice good behavior and fun games around things he is tempted to bark at. The best part about these is that we tailor where we work to your dog's needs. Since Bear has been rocking his training in his neighborhood during our training walks, we have started to go to nearby parks. This helps him generalize all the games he's learned and allows us to work in an area with more distractions, while ensuring he's not overwhelmed.

25/06/2025

Watch your dog for signs they're getting overheated, don't rely on temperature alone. Look for: shade seeking, spatulate tongue, stumbling, loss of coordination, and them being less responsive to cues.

This is a great, easy reference for heat injury in dogs. Save it, reference it, share it so everyone can learn research backed information regarding heat injury!

Remember, quick cooling saves lives!

24/06/2025

As we go through a heatwave this week, take extra precautions especially if your dog is on ssris. Just like in people, meds can affect heat tolerance and make our dogs more susceptible to overheating.

Take lots of breaks, bring extra water if you do go out and try to avoid being out for long periods during the day.

If your dog does start to overheat, remember quick cooling saves lives.

Use whatever you have available to cool your dog. It is a MYTH that you shouldn't use cold water on an overheating dog.

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21/06/2025

Remember, if your dog overheats, cool first, transport second! Rapid cooling saves lives!

This week temperatures will be dangerously high for your pups. Play indoors instead and do quick potty breaks, especially during the day!

🚨 Heatstroke Can Kill – But You Can Save a Life 🚨

If your dog overheats, every second counts. Before you rush them to the car – cool them first.

🐶💦 Cool First, Transport Second 💦🐶

A hot car journey can make things worse. Studies show that cooling your dog before moving them is critical to reduce damage and save lives.

✅ Immerse them in cool water, supervised (yes, cold water is safe – no more “lukewarm only” myths!)
✅ Extra points if you use cool water AND fans blowing over your dog's coat to boost evaporation
✅ Get air flowing – think fans, open windows, air con

⚠️ Only 22% of dogs were cooled before transport in past cases of heatstroke. Don’t wait. Act fast.

🧊 Rapid cooling = better recovery
🚗 Delayed cooling = higher risk

Share this post. It could save a dog’s life this summer. 🌞🐾

📍 Thanks to Hot Dogs – Heatstroke Education for Dog Owners for the brilliant infographic (below). Please read it. Please remember it. Please share it.

https://www.facebook.com/hotdogscanineheatstroke/

04/06/2025

Nico was fully splooted after his Walk & Train yesterday! We worked on him sticking with me, even when his sister got distracted, stays, and attention around critters.

This is a fun program to keep dogs active and practicing new and existing skills. It also gives them something fun to do during the day while you're at work.

16/05/2025

This is so important as it warms up outside! I'm finding every year more and more people are spreading the myth that you shouldn't use cold water on an overheating dog. That is a MYTH. Below you can find some studies as well as signs to look for as your dog overheats.

The most important thing to remember in case of an emergency situation is to cool first, transport second.

Heat injury studies (for those interested):

a randomized crossover study comparing cooling methods for exercise induced hyperthermia and working dogs
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/23/3673

Comparison of post exercise cooling methods in working dogs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30859528/

Environmental and physiological factors associated with stamina in dogs exercising in high ambient heat
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32582777/

Evaluation of three hydration strategies and detection dogs working in hot environment
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29124059/

Cold water vs Ice Water and the effects on hyperthermia.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC164337/