Corvallis Pet Care LLC

Corvallis Pet Care LLC Dog Training and Animal Communication in Corvallis, OR and via zoom.

01/21/2026

There are some really outdated dog training techniques that are just plain weird! I hear the words alpha and dominance being used so often and so incorrectly. Sadly for dogs these term are in the zeitgeist and do nothing to help people train their dogs or build a solid healthy relationships #. Staring is weird for lots of dogs and threatening for others. Other dogs happily gaze into their dog parents’ eyes. At worst you could really be scaring your dog at least confusing them. If they look away they are just communicating a very polite message of “dude calm down, why are you being weird?” It doesn’t mean now all of a sudden they will do what you say or think your the boss. And is that the kind of relationship you want to have with your dog? One that is about power and domination and control? That doesn’t sound very fun. In fact it sounds super insecure and unstable. Try respect, compassion and showing your dog with kindness how to navigate the world instead. That will be a much more satisfying experience.

01/19/2026

I figured if I benefit from a puzzle so do my dogs. I can’t say enough about how problem solving is essential to keeping your dog happy and out of trouble. For fearful or reactive dogs, using their problem solving part of the brain disables the fight or flight part of the brain. That’s how we take advantage of brain plasticity and help traumatized dogs reside their brains. Dog training is a very small part of the pie. Do you make your own puzzles for your dogs? If so tag me!

01/16/2026

Dog reactivity can be caused by dog reactivity thus making it a social contagion. Like a disease reactivity spreads to other dogs in the community. When we help our own dogs overcome reactivity we are helping all the dogs in the community. This isn’t a blame game and I know people who have dogs who are reactive have enough on their plate. But it’s important to be aware this is a community issue. People who have reactive dogs don’t deserve to be shunned or isolated. They need support. If your dog isn’t reactive or you don’t even have a dog, you can still help reduce reactivity in your community by respecting the boundaries set by dog owners. Don’t be the “my dog is friendly” person or the “dogs love me” person. Be aware that people and dogs need help and respect. It’s really difficult to live with a dog that barks and lunges and makes you dread walks. So if your dog is reactive, don’t wait. Do something about it before it gets worse.

01/11/2026

(NOT SPONSORED) We got this .de bag (paid full price + tariffs) for our old chihuahua and I wanted to train the younger dude to get into it. He is a fearful guy and historically has been resistant to bags. We practiced this in 5 training sessions over 4 days and it took about 30min total. The first two sessions were the longest. The key is to not use force, make the bag super fun. Start with treating for any interaction. I like to use shaping for the entire training but I needed to fall back on luring to position him since the base of the bag was small. Overall he had lots of choice and now whenever he sees the bag he is happy. That’s what we want. Then we practiced closing the bag and treating him for staying even with the flap open. Next we tethered him into it and again treated for staying after removing the tether. It got tricky when I started lifting the bag and he did bail and I did gently return him to the bag. I didn’t release him at that point because I don’t want him to think bailing will get him free from the bag. While this is positive training, tethering a dog inside a bag is forceful (let’s not fool ourselves) but if we can limit stress and fear I felt it was OK to continue. After we practiced lifting the bag, our helper did the final step which is the walk. You can see several lip licks (these are stress signals) which is why we kept it short and with plenty of rewards. This was a huge win for this little guys and still requires further practice. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate that if you move slowly over a few sessions you can actually quickly train a dog to do something they may at first not enjoy. I could have just dumped him into the bag but knowing this dog, it would have been stressful for both of us, he would have bit me (or tried to) and then what is the point if he ends up hating the bag? This way he chooses as much as possible along the way. I think it’s a good compromise for achieving a skill that is very useful for his safety and also expands his opportunity to do more fun stuff with us. The bag is pretty great too. 👍

01/07/2026

Fun informative and free! - You’re invited!!! Link to blog in bio to RSVP

01/05/2026

Beach dogs in Mexico have the best life of any dogs I’ve met. These two made a huge impression on me in Mexico last year so I was anxious to see them again. We learned they are now being cared for but also have their happy beach dog life! It’s tempting to “feel bad” for stray dogs and want to adopt them and take them to the states, but truly their life down here is a great life. These dogs don’t need enrichment like the cooped up dogs we “own” in big cities. These dogs have full freedom lives and it’s different but beautiful.

01/03/2026

I know I’m being rude but someone needs to say it. I’m tired of people asking me… “when can we stop using food?” Why stop motivating your dog with something they like? What is the beef with food as a reward? We all need to eat! Food is a powerful motivator. I’m not saying to make your dog sick or obese but to help with fear and reactivity and to teach certain skills - it works. Why make your life so hard when you have something that works? Get over the idea that dogs think you’re so great that they should want to please or serve you. Stop using the word master! For f’s sake! That’s some ego crap that only creates frustration for you and your dog. Use food. Be happy.

12/31/2025

Pressure calms the nervous system! Like a big hug it helps our dogs know where their body is in space - especially when they feel overstimulated or stressed. That’s why it’s important for us to take care our of own human nervous systems. We need to help ourselves before we can show up for our dogs. Have a reactive or fearful canine? How do you destress to manage your dog’s behavior? Dog training isn’t easy especially with charged emotions and intense reactions like barking and lunging. We will succeed as dog parents when we make time for ourselves. What does that mean for you?

12/22/2025

Guilt won’t help! Taking care of yourself will!

12/18/2025

Wondering why your dog is ignoring you? Have you gotten their attention BEFORE asking them to do something? Sometimes it is that simple! Practice some fun and easy attention games and watch your dog’s focus and engagement improve!

12/13/2025

People often wonder if getting a second dog is a good idea?

I used to think that if I got a second (or third) dog how much more work could it be?

The truth is - two dogs that are even of the same breeds can have VERY different needs because all dogs are individuals - with different learning experiences, genes and personalities.

As you can see - these two solved this problem totally differently. Sheridan methodically approached the situation while D used the brut force method. Neither are right or wrong, just different.

Understanding how a dog thinks and solves problems can help create a custom training plan to work through behavior issues.

Using puzzles to slow down a dog’s brain and getting them out of fight or flight is often one of the easiest and most under utilized tools for helping dogs with fear and reactivity.

You might guess - D is pretty fearless while Sheridan used to be afraid of boxes and cups.

I think sometimes we overlook
some of the simplest ways to help our dogs.

12/11/2025

You’ve heard these all before but is your dog still experiencing fear and reactivity? It’s so hard but there is hope.

❌ “They were abused”
→ Or undersocialized
❌ “Just expose them repeatedly”
→ This makes it WORSE - much worse
❌ “They’ll grow out of it”
→ They won’t - act now
❌ “Give it time”
→ Time alone doesn’t help
❌ “It’s your fault”
→ Guilt doesn’t solve problems
❌ “They’ll never change”
→ I’ve seen incredible transformations!
❌ “Medication fixes everything”
→ It helps, but you need training too
❌ “Obedience training is enough”
→ You need fear and reactivity specific work
❌ “Just exercise more”
→ Wrong kind can make it worse!
Here’s the truth: Fear and reactivity training in dogs can go wrong and set your dog back.
But with the right help? Your dog CAN change. I’ve seen dogs who wouldn’t leave their house finally go on their first walks! Or those who barked and lunged calmly walk by dogs. It’s beautiful!

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Corvallis, OR

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+15414350011

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