Enlightened K9 Perspective

12/28/2025

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐠.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

If a dog food or treat lists “meat meal,” “meat by-product,” “meat and bone meal,” or “animal digest” without naming the animal, the protein source is unknown.

That’s not opinion — that’s labeling regulation.

Foods & Treats That Commonly Use Unnamed Meat Meals or By-Products*
(*Always check individual formulas — brands vary)

Dog Foods
• Ol’ Roy
• Kibbles ‘n Bits
• Pedigree
• Gravy Train
• Alpo
• Purina Dog Chow
• Purina Beneful
• Purina ONE (some formulas)
• Iams (some formulas)
• Eukanuba (some formulas)
• Sportmix
• Retriever (Tractor Supply)

Dog Treats
• Milk-Bone
• Beggin’ Strips
• Pup-Peroni
• Ol’ Roy Treats
• Canine Carry Outs
• Gravy Bones

When the animal isn’t named, the rendered source can legally include expired grocery meat, diseased livestock, zoo animals — and in some cases roadkill or euthanized animals, depending on regulations and processing.

If that makes you uncomfortable, it should.

How to Read Dog Food Labels Smarter (Quick Tips)

• Named proteins matter
“Chicken meal” = defined source
“Meat meal” = mystery source
• Ingredients are listed by weight before cooking
Fresh meat sounds great, but meals often contain more usable protein after processing.
• Watch vague terms
Animal digest, by-product, natural flavor = lack of transparency.
• Marketing words mean nothing
“Premium,” “wholesome,” “vet recommended” are not regulated.
• Your dog’s body tells the truth

Energy, stool quality, skin, coat, behavior — these don’t lie.

Dogs don’t choose their food.
Owners do.

Behavior, health, and trainability don’t start on the training field — they start in the bowl.

Your choice of dog food should start and end with the ingredients — not the marketing.

— Enlightened K9 Perspective

12/25/2025

Pack Walk This Saturday!
Join us this Saturday the 27th at 4:00 PM, starting at the Farmer’s Market.
Our pack walks happen the last Saturday of every month and are a great way to practice calm, structured walking in a real-world environment.
All are welcome—see you there!

12/24/2025

12/21/2025

Three weeks ago, this little girl came to us overwhelmed, hyper, and completely out of control. Today, she’s heading home calm, confident, and well-mannered. Proof that structure, consistency, and the right guidance can completely change a puppy’s mindset—not just their behavior.

12/15/2025

Why “Nose-Down” Walks Aren’t Helping Your Anxious Dog

Letting a dog walk with their nose glued to the ground might look natural, but for an anxious dog it often does more harm than good.

When a dog is constantly scanning the ground, they’re not calm — they’re self-regulating through avoidance. Sniffing becomes a coping behavior, not relaxation. The dog stays mentally busy, disconnected from the handler, and unaware of their surroundings until something suddenly appears… which is exactly when anxiety spikes.

A structured walk should create: • Awareness
• Engagement with the handler
• Predictability and leadership

An anxious dog needs guidance, not freedom to check out. When we allow nonstop sniffing, we’re telling the dog, “You’re on your own out here.” That lack of direction increases insecurity and reactivity.

This doesn’t mean dogs should never sniff. It means sniffing should be intentional, earned, and separate from structured walking.

Calm, focused walks build confidence. Confidence reduces anxiety. Structure creates peace.

12/13/2025

Calm dogs make better choices.

Most dogs that come to us for a board & train have a history of serious, extreme, and sometimes dangerous behaviors. When they go home, our guidance is always the same: the first 30–90 days should be calm 100% of the time.

Look at the dog in this photo.

I see a calm, content dog—which equals a happy dog.
Most people will look at this same photo and say the dog looks sad or unhappy.

And this is where the problem lies.

We’ve been taught to associate happiness with excitement, movement, and high energy. But in dogs, that state is often just arousal—and arousal leads to poor choices and bad behaviors.

Correcting an over-aroused dog feels acceptable. Correcting a “happy, excited” dog feels wrong to many owners. But they are the exact same state, just viewed through a different lens.

When owners learn to value calm the way dogs do, everything changes. Calm isn’t suppressing a dog. Calm is clarity, safety, and balance—and it’s the foundation of long-term success after a board & train.

12/10/2025

* this is a text message I received this morning from a client 😀 ❤️*

Thank you Micheal! Before Oakley's 3 week board and train my grandson was so fearful of Oakley jumping on him that he would cry for me to put Oakley in his cage. Now they are friends! I am very pleased at Oakley's more calm demeanor and behavior. Life is much less stressful since he knows what is expected of him.

12/08/2025

There’s a reason dog training and personal development go hand in hand.

We all have deficits, obstacles, blind spots. And few things make them more apparent — and untenable — than does living with a creature we love deeply, and who we wish to see happy and fulfilled… but who is making our lives a mess.

So many trainers get so deeply wrapped in the dog side of the equation that they forget about what either makes or breaks all the great work they’re building with the dog… the human that will be taking over once they’re gone.

Of course we only have so much influence on our clients (and I’m a huge proponent of personal responsibility and letting adults be adults) — but, as trainers who are invited into people’s lives, and given access to oftentimes deeply intimate aspects of these lives, we’re afforded a very special opportunity to positively impact people far beyond their dog.

And while “leadership” might make one think of barking orders and bullying those below you, what it’s really about is learning how to do what are often incredibly difficult, selfless things for the betterment of those entrusted to your care.

Who are the “those” in your care? Your dog, your friends, your spouse, your kids, your community, your self.

When you get better, so does everything else… and I do mean everything. It’s a giant positive ripple effect… if you’re willing to make it so.

Thank your dog for that nudge. ❤️