K-904 Dog Training

07/04/2025

Happy fourth!

07/04/2025

Have you taken time to review all the new laws that went into effect today in Florida? Three of them focus on Animal Cruelty!

1. (Florida Senate Bill 150) - 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄 makes it a felony to 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 a dog during a natural disaster or evacuation, carrying penalties of up to 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 in prison and a $𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 fine. This law was inspired by a rescue operation during Hurricane Milton last year, ensuring no pet is left tied up in such situations.

2. (Florida House Bill 255) - 𝗗𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄 enhances penalties for aggravated animal cruelty and creates a 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀. This gives shelters and pet sellers a tool to screen potential adopters and keep animals out of the wrong hands.

3. (Florida Senate Bill 572) - The 𝗣𝗮𝗺 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝗰𝘁 mandates that owners of dogs deemed dangerous 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 must now 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀 and 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 a minimum of $100,000 in 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 before their pet can be re-released to them following a "Dangerous Dog Investigation" prompted by an incident where a dog bites or attacks a person or another animal, or when a dog's behavior poses a threat of injury 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

These new laws mark a significant step forward in protecting the welfare of animals in Florida and ensuring responsible pet ownership.


1726

07/04/2025

I hope my peeps are following her!

07/02/2025

06/30/2025

The legislation comes after the death of 61-year-old Pam Rock, who lost her life to a vicious dog attack while delivering mail in the Interlachen Estates area in 2022.

06/27/2025

Back porch training tips round 2! This one is longer so I hope you stick around for all of it.

06/27/2025

Adolescent dogs experience significant hormonal and neurological changes that have a profound effect on their behaviour and emotional wellbeing. It is crucial that we understand what to expect, so we can provide adequate support, management and training through this challenging developmental stage. - Holly Leake

06/25/2025

That’s a pretty solid Leave it 😜

06/25/2025

Hiya! Are you looking for a “dog expert” who screams commands, jerks collars, and treats your 8-lb Maltipoo like a Navy SEAL K9? Cool. That’s not me.

I train with empathy, kindness, compassion, intelligence, and-gasp-science.
I’ve spent 6 years honing my skills in puppy development, not barking orders like a drill sergeant.
So, if you’re after a steroid-fueled collar-yanker to handle your pups house manners, just keep scrolling.

But if you want common sense puppy training that actually works for all breeds-and builds trust, not trauma-I’m your gal.

06/23/2025

06/20/2025

Get to know a Bluetick!

06/18/2025

For the love of God, read this!

We often think of trauma as something that happens to an individual, a specific event, a particular hardship. But what if that trauma can be passed down through generations?

It turns out, this isn’t just theory. In both humans and animals, generational trauma is real and we’re starting to understand just how deep it runs.

One of the most striking studies on this was conducted with mice. In this experiment, researchers exposed a group of male mice to the scent of cherry blossoms while delivering mild electric shocks. Unsurprisingly, the mice began to associate the smell with danger and displayed clear signs of fear whenever they encountered it.

Here’s the extraordinary part: their offspring, and even their grand-offspring, were also afraid of the cherry blossom scent, despite never having experienced the shocks themselves. Analysis showed changes not only in behaviour but in the structure of the mice’s brains and even their DNA. Trauma had left a biological imprint that was inherited.

This concept of epigenetic inheritance may explain why some dogs, particularly those from puppy farms or rescue situations, can present with significant behavioural challenges even if they’ve never experienced direct abuse or trauma themselves.
In puppy farms, for example, generations of dogs may be born into high-stress, deprived environments. Mothers often suffer extreme neglect, lack of enrichment, and chronic stress. Their puppies even when adopted into loving homes can carry the emotional residue of that experience. It’s not just poor socialisation. It’s a history written into their nervous systems.

Understanding this changes everything.

When working with fearful, reactive, or shut-down dogs particularly those from difficult or unknown backgrounds we must approach them with greater compassion, patience, and a trauma-informed mindset. It’s not always about “fixing” a behaviour, but understanding its roots, and giving the dog a chance to feel safe enough to start healing.

If you’re living with a dog who seems stuck in fear or overreacts to the world in ways that don’t make sense you’re not alone, and they’re not broken.