Sheila Williams Dog Training

09/07/2025

This is a great opportunity to work with a team of dedicated caring pet professionals! Please share with anyone you know who might be interested.

JOIN OUR TEAM The Best Job Ever For An Animal Lover Do you love spending time with animals? Join our care team and turn your passion into a career! We are hiring caregivers for all services we provide. To learn more, please fill out the application below.

09/07/2025

Per the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior: “There is no evidence that aversive methods are more effective that reward-based methods in any context.”

Two professional organizations recently updated their policies. Only one made a commitment to reward-based training.

05/07/2025

"And how you treat a dog in that moment—when they’re not at their best, when they’re overwhelmed or frightened or simmering just under the surface—that’s what defines your relationship. That’s where trust is either built or broken."

Send a message to learn more

01/07/2025

"I no longer walk my dogs on lawns that have no weeds." - Dr. Lauren Trepanier, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Over Dr. Trepanier's research career she has uncovered links between yard chemicals and bladder cancer. It brings us the question of not only what do you put on your lawn, but what is put on the lawns where you walk your dog?

https://wearethecure.org/bladder-cancer-in-dogs-causes-found-in-research/

29/06/2025

Your dog does not need to meet other dogs. Or other people. Listen to your dog and support them when they tell you they are uncomfortable in any given situation.

"They just adore each other" 😍

Do they? 🤔
Sometimes we really want to see signals that just aren't there.

We may focus on one area....like a wagging tail, because it "confirms" what we hope is true.
The reality though is scared, conflicted or anxious dogs can and often do wag their tails.

Unsure what's occurring?
In moments like these....the majority "rules".

A dog "backing away" ?
That can be a pretty clear signal for us to pay attention to.
It can even be combined with a little "happy dance".
That pattering and quick plods....those fast moving feet?

It can look playful but can mean your dog is unsure or even uncomfortable with what is happening.

Scroll back a few posts.
Look at ways to support those nervy greeters.
There are lots of ideas for that on this page.

Forcing interactions is never a way to fast track anything positive.

22/06/2025

For pet owners, parents, and people with PTSD- this hack is a lifesaver during firework season.

The Box Fan Hack-
As a box fan pushes air through a space, air currents bounce off walls and break up sound waves (unlike a white noise machine). This disruption makes it difficult to pinpoint or perceive any specific sound outside a room and promotes an overall more relaxing environment.

Best used in a small space, like a bedroom, but is also effective in a larger room if you use a fan at each external wall.

You need a box fan for each external wall.

Set up the fan between the source of the triggering sound and your dog's resting area. Place the fan so it points toward an external wall or window blowing outwards against the wall. The fan must be blowing out, NOT into the room.

Note- you can use this in a smaller room with a smaller fan, but it works best with box fans.

I hope this provides comfort to you and/or your dog. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Adapted with credit to Kim Brophey of Family Dog Mediation.
Feel free to message me with any questions.

This video demonstrates Kim Brophy's "Box Fan Hack" - a technique used to help dogs who suffer from sound sensitivity, thunderstorm and fireworks phobias, an...

22/06/2025

09/06/2025

https://rescuedbytraining.com/2023/10/02/risks-kids-walking-dog-alone/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKzw3BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFmdk02QWFUYlB1ZGdXckxNAR7Rg6ZD5Q6dixvs9RWKqDS1Upv5oqeyLB0A39gKqwNolKl7WdqmRRM6LY51Lw_aem_erIfAOhxXewFOJUN20AZCA

06/05/2025

Trainer Tip Tuesday:

30/01/2025

"His walks are his time, just for him. Because just one or two hours in a whole day is really not much time at all. So as long as he’s safe, comfortable and happy, he gets to do whatever he likes when he takes me out for a walk."

I’m happy for my dog to choose where he wants to go and the pace. Sometimes he wants me to decide the route so we take it in turns.

His walks are his time, just for him. Because just one or two hours in a whole day is really not much time at all. So as long as he’s safe, comfortable and happy, he gets to do whatever he likes when he takes me out for a walk.

If you feel like walks are a fight, check out my courses on reducing lead tension or constructive walk ideas.

15/12/2024

Holiday gatherings can be overwhelming for dogs. Even social butterflies like my Labrador can get overexcited and behave atypically. Please give your dog a quiet safe place away from the festivities.

04/07/2024

For pet owners, parents, and people with PTSD- this a hack that greatly reduces the amount of noise coming into your home from fireworks, storms, etc. I recommend this to all of my dog training clients.

Do you have a dog that is afraid of fireworks, know someone with PTSD, have a baby who needs to sleep, or need to block sound coming into the house for other reasons? This hack will help.

The Box Fan Hack-
As a box fan pushes air through a space, air currents bounce off walls and break up sound waves (unlike a white noise machine). This disruption makes it difficult to pinpoint or perceive any specific sound outside a room and promotes an overall more relaxing environment.

Best used in a small space, like a bedroom, but is also effective in a larger room if you use a fan at each external wall.

You need a box fan for each external wall.

Set up the fan between the source of the triggering sound and your dog's resting area. Place the fan so it points toward an external wall or window blowing outwards against the wall. The fan must be blowing out, NOT into the room.

Note- you can use this in a smaller room with a smaller fan, but it works best with box fans.

I hope this provides comfort to you and/or your dog. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Adapted with credit to Kim Brophey of Family Dog Mediation.

Feel free to message me with any questions.

This video demonstrates Kim Brophy's "Box Fan Hack" - a technique used to help dogs who suffer from sound sensitivity, thunderstorm and fireworks phobias, an...