Shel Graves Animal Consulting

06/25/2024

Have a Fear Free Fourth! https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/

06/23/2024

Ready for the freezer! Ready for fun!

06/22/2024

The best kind of dogs! Well-loved dogs. Family dogs. Best friends!
Training for happiness --100%

06/21/2024

Animal hospice and palliative care advocate certificate from arrived yesterday. As someone who has volunteered with human hospice, I am grateful to see this level of care and consideration offered to animals and their caregivers.

06/21/2024

Hiking With Dogs: Dogs on Trails and the Polite Driver Rule
This blog post offers one simple tip to make hikes with dogs more enjoyable. https://wix.to/eR4aJVt

This blog post offers one simple tip to make hikes with dogs more enjoyable: Take the dog to the side of the trail when people pass.But because it is June, a month where I’m thinking a lot about my Father (the month of Father’s Day, the anniversary of my Father’s death, the month of my parent....

06/20/2024

Did you ever wonder why we have elbows?

06/19/2024

Training for happiness & clean ears…after some training sessions Tish comfortably wears her snood so her long ears don’t dangle into her lick mat.

06/15/2024

Animals communicate with us via their behaviors and we can hear them by paying attention to their body language and behaviors. Great article on how to help grieving animals. ❤️ 🐾

Grief in pets can show up in many ways—from insomnia and moodiness to loss of appetite and more. Knowing these signs is the first step toward helping your furry friend heal. Learn what to watch for and how to help. 🐕💔

Discover more on recognizing pet grief: https://buff.ly/3VhWCU5

06/15/2024

The Science of Cats! Fun Facts About Cat Behavior: Would it surprise you to know that people don't actually know that much about cats? Fortunately, there are some very wonderful cat scientists and cat behaviorists out there now taking the time to research what cats really like -- and they are doing this to benefit cats. Hurrah! Hats off to these cat heroes! This blog talks about some things cat behaviorists know, that may not be common knowledge. https://wix.to/Yr6Q8tz

Would it surprise you to know that people don't actually know that much about cats? Scientifically speaking, that is. Historically, humans haven't been all that interested in the animals who live in our homes. Studying domesticated animals was not considered to be academically rigorous. Maybe humans...

06/15/2024

In dog training, we also practice going to the mat, practicing, and ahimsa non-violence.
May you be confident, at ease, playful, and safe!

06/11/2024

Their lives may be shorter. Their bodies may be smaller. And they take up so much depth and breadth in our hearts.

May you be loved. May you be at peace. May you know you did the best you could with the information you had at the time.

From Pasado's Aurora to Greyfriars Bobby
we love and remember our enduring friendships.

We care deeply for animals and we are not alone.

06/08/2024

Dog training and occupational therapy: When someone is recovering from an injury or facing reduced mobility, a beloved dog or cat can become a hazard! This blog offers help for people who are receiving occupational or physical therapy about what do do when their pets get in the way. Dog training and occupational therapy have some interesting things in common!

1. Reward the behaviors you’d like to see more of in the places where you’d like your dog or cat to be.2. Provide fun activities to occupy your animal out of the way. 3. Train your dog or cat to “go to mat” and play helpful training games with them. When someone is recovering from an injury ...

06/07/2024

Happy dogs! Happy people! Strengthening the human-animal bond. Doing our best for animals. Training for happiness!

06/06/2024

A new cat clinic opening in Gig Harbor, Wash., Whisker Wellness Center! Yay, for cat-centered practices and happy, healthy cats. 🐈🐾🎉

Send a message to learn more

06/06/2024

New friend! 💙🐾

06/05/2024

URGENT REHOME: Gadget is still looking for her safe landing place.

Marysville, Wash.: Gadget, F, age 7, #90, spayed, up-to-date on vaccinations, is looking for a home-to-home adoption due to her person's medical condition. Good with dogs. Prefer no cats no small children. On allergy medication. Nervous (barks, backs away) with new people. Well-trained and easily-motivated. Snuggly.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SHARES! EVERY SHARE HELPS! ❤🐾

06/04/2024

Shel Graves Animal Consulting's dog day training service is like homeschooling or hiring a private tutor for your dog. Shel Graves comes to you and trains your dog in your home. You do not have to be there! You can be working or taking care of other things. Shel is an expert dog trainer so you don’t have to be. Day training is a great option when you need your dog to learn something quickly. Depending on your dog’s needs and your schedule, Shel Graves Animal Consulting offers four-week or three-week day training packages. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPtyysnVmKY

06/04/2024

How it Works: Initial Consult: Shel Graves Animal Consulting offers dog training, dog and cat behavior help, and pet loss support. So, how can we work together? Step one: All services start with an initial consult via phone or Zoom, your choice. You can book and pay for your consult on my website shelgravesanimal.com. YouTube: https://youtu.be/OyXMem_NgPk?feature=shared

06/03/2024

A little behind the scenes training: Here's my little Tish doing one of my favorite cute behaviors, her "Aroo-roo-roo!" cute! But it's followed by one of my least favorite behaviors yapping which gets louder and more shrill. She's super excited to try this new treat and so she's revving up for a bout of demand barking. Yikes! Tish has worked a lot on a down and down stay --a position which halts the yapping! Her sister Lily holds a quiet sit the whole time. Tish still gets a treat before Lily because Lily's troublesome behavior is resource guarding and she's learned that when good things come to Tish that means good things are on the way for Lily and it's reduced her testiness with Tish a lot.

Notice how in the second video Tish goes straight into the down? It works to get her the second bit of that doughnut more quickly. No yapping required!

Treats from A Barkery Unleashed in Marysville.

06/03/2024

Fun times and treats to celebrate a serious matter: love, respect, and systems of compassion (not systems of oppression).

06/03/2024

How to help puppy mill rescues: seven tips to help fearful dogs blossom https://wix.to/OKg3t0Z

06/01/2024

Fun activities with your cat: DIY edition, here's my new blog post, a follow up to the splurge edition for some simple, inexpensive ideas. What are your cat's favorites? https://wix.to/1vgnn5W

Yes, there are lots of ways to keep your cat entertained that are inexpensive. If it fits, I sits! Cardboard boxes and paper grocery bags are definitely your friend here.It’s great to be creative and give your cat lots of fun options to keep entertained. If you don’t provide the fun, your cat wi...

05/31/2024

5/31/24
Marysville, Wash.

PLEASE HELP: We need to find this big, sweet girl a safe landing spot. Due to urgent medical needs, her person is no longer able to care for her and is already grieving the loss of her dear family dogs. A place has been found for her brother Tank, but Gadget needs a new home. Gadget walks well on lead and lives with two other dogs. She’s an adult dog about age 7, but still with a puppyish play style. Gadget has practiced “sit,” “stay,” “wait," “leave it,” and “high-five”. She also knows “load up!” as she loves car rides. She's very food-motivated and trainable! She is on medication (Apoquel) for allergies. She is nervous around some new people (barks and backs away) and would likely not do well in a shelter. So she really needs our help. Gadget would do best in a home without cats and small children. She is sweet, smart, a real snuggle bug (although watch out she'll take more than her share of the blankets!). She's looking for a home-to-home adoption ASAP. PLEASE SHARE and help find sweet Miss Gadget a loving home.

05/31/2024

Fun activities with your cat: splurge edition. Because a bored cat finds ways to entertain themselves... Does your cat have all the fun stuff? Check out my blog post

Here are some fun spends to help keep your cat happy and engaged–a DIY version of some simple and inexpensive games will be coming soon.These are some of my favorite items. Of course, take your own cat’s individual preferences and safety needs into account when choosing splurges for them!Please ...

05/26/2024

Recommended book stack!

05/25/2024

Love working with beautiful and sweet Kali (named after beautiful Kalispell, Montana). What a darling!

05/24/2024

New friends!

05/24/2024

Pup-cute-rie! Fun activities for dogs!