Mindful Mutts Dog Training

08/10/2025

It's back to school week and for many people this means getting back to the hustle and bustle of a morning routine, stressing to make sure everyone is ready to go, and rushing to get out of the door in the mornings. But what about your dog? What does this mean and do to your dog?

All summer long, your dog is used to you and your kiddos being home with him. Giving him attention. Playing with him. Going on adventures. But now that all the kiddos are going back to school, he may become depressed or develop separation anxiety. Both of which are not good for your dog's mental and physical health.

So if your dog is not handling the routine change well, here's some simple tips to help relieve stress and make the transition smoother for you and your dog:

1. Allow your dog to be part of your morning routine.

2. Create a morning schedule where, on different days, someone in the house wakes up a little early to play with, train, or walk the dog. Every day.

3. Don't make a big deal when you leave the house or return home.

4. Create an afternoon/evening routine with your dog. Exercise and playtime with the family is always fun, but remember to also ensure that you are adding in structure and discipline as well.

All of these tips will help transition your dog to the fall schedules of going back to school.

07/18/2025

Have you ever adopted a dog/puppy who had the best manners at first and then later on behavior issues seemed to arise?

This is something we call the honeymoon period, and it gets a lot of play. Over and over, we hear owners sharing how a newly adopted dog/puppy came in, was easy, quiet, polite, friendly, and even cautious.

And how nice is that? The perfect dog. 🙂

Of course, that all makes perfect sense. It’s a new environment, with new sights, sounds, people, and maybe even animals. That means there’s an awful lot to take in, process, and figure out.

This means that as your new pup is immersed in all this “newness”, being cautious and careful behaviorally is exactly what you’d expect.

But then...

But then you start to see some shifts. A bit more barking at the doors or windows, a bit more nervous reacting to strangers, a bit more pulling on leash, a bit more revving up at other dogs on the walks, a bit more rambunctiousness around you and the kids...or maybe the cat or other dog.

And then, it gets worse. Perhaps it’s the issues above intensifying, or perhaps it’s something even more worrisome... maybe some previously unseen resource guarding of space or people or food? Or maybe some out and out attacks on the other dog or the cat? Or...?

Here’s the thing, none of this is mysterious. Your pup has been smart; she has been getting the lay of the new land and finding her bearings. But there’s another component, which is a major player in this unfolding drama.

You.

Most dogs who come into new homes don’t get introduced to structure, rules, leadership, and accountability. No. Instead, they come into homes and are enveloped with affection, play, toys, and total freedom (“Explore your new house!”), and a deep, deep desire for them to be “happy".

Over time, as your pup gets comfy with the environment, and more dangerously, crystal clear on the social structure of the home - meaning, humans are soft, sweet, boundary-less, eager-to-please doormats - things start to change dramatically.

Instead of giving your dog clear instructions on the expectations you have for their behavior, you’ve given them clear instructions that there ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS. And a dog with no instructions, and with no behavioral expectations... also known as a dog without any leadership...is a dog who’s going to find out exactly what he or she can get away with. And once that’s clear, they’re going to work to get away with it, over and over.

Thus, mysteriously and tragically, the honeymoon comes to an end. At this point, some people seek help, and many others simply return the dog. Not realizing that the dog didn’t reveal it’s true self, but that the dog was allowed to reveal its worst self. And that the revealing was allowed, and actually created by you. All because you wanted the new pup to be “happy”, rather than stable. “Loved” rather than led.

Another example of good intentions, all-be them ill-informed, creating a tragic outcome.

This is where stepping up as the calm, confident, and relaxed leader comes into play. Setting strong rules, boundaries, and limitations in the household while knowing when to correct at the precise moment is what is necessary to reveal your pup's best self. We talk continuously about exercise, discipline, and affection in that order daily. Without that order, chaos is created, and the pup's worst self will emerge.

06/26/2025

06/26/2025

Much of this rings true to dog training as well. Growing up I was taught alpha/dominance theory over and over. Punishment was often the first choice for "disobedient" animals in my home. Alpha rolling, scruffing, hitting, all of this was a way to somehow "teach" the dog to obey. But of course I know much different now and can retrospectively see the damage I did to the relationships between myself and my childhood pets. But it is never too late to grow and learn. Choose to be kind and open minded to the ways of our furry friends. What we view as "disobedience" almost always stems from miscommunication, stress or a disconnect in the human-animal relationship. Many of my clients come to me claiming their dogs are stubborn. That they can do their basic commands at home, but not outside or around other dogs or in new environments. That is not stubbornness, it's a lack of desensitization to different stimuli, a lack of socialization with different people and animals, and the result of a lack time spent on building engagement. When we take the time to understand WHY our dogs are doing the things they are doing, we can start fixing the root issue. And in the process we build their trust, respect, and reliance on us as their owners.

I’ve done a lot of cruel things to horses in the past that I deeply regret.

It wasn’t out of malice, it was because it was what I was taught to do from the time I was a child.

However, my emotional regulation was poor and I often took out my frustration on horses and would justify harsh corrections by saying the horse was “being naughty” and “can’t get anyway with that.”

It led to a lack of self reflection because I could conveniently blame the horse for disrespecting me or claim that they knew better and were doing it on purpose.

I hit horses when they were bad. I was taught to knee horses in the gut if they bloated while girthing. I’ve punished horses for reactions that were out of pain or fear.

Because I viewed the unwanted behaviour as a bad thing that needed to be eradicated immediately rather than the symptom of the horse’s emotional state.

Dominance in horse training is very common.

Equestrians are often told things like “you need to be the herd leader” and “you have to show him who’s boss or he’ll walk all over you.”

All sorts of training gadgets, supplements, bits and equipment are also sold as solutions to problems.

People are often encouraged to ride through problem behaviours no matter what.

This focus on viewing unwanted behaviours as the horse trying to disrespect you turns the horse into your adversary when they aren’t being obedient.

Respect is then viewed as synonymous with obedient.

The horse doesn’t get to communicate as a partner when this is the case.

Horses get “loud” in their behaviour for a number of reasons.

Oftentimes, those reasons involve unmet needs and/or the handler missing earlier signs of stress.

Then, when stress builds to a boiling point, the horse reacts and this is viewed as unacceptable and punished accordingly.

I pushed horses into states of high stress for years and then punished them when they acted out.

I expected horses to be predictable and obedient even when I wasn’t meeting their needs.

I kept my first horse stalled for the majority of the time and then became frustrated when he would bolt with me under saddle and spook at everything.

It was due to a lack of knowledge and a lack of emotional control on my part.

And for years, I resisted the information that exposed the gaps in my understanding of horses because it felt threatening and I had a lot of deep seated guilt and shame.

But then, little by little, my perspective changed.

Once I knew better, I started to do better.

Making mistakes with horses doesn’t mean you’re doomed to repeat them forever.

People can and do change.

We don’t have to let guilt and shame overwhelm us to the point where we defend our behaviour and refuse to change out of fear of being vulnerable.

A lot of the people advocating for horse welfare the loudest right now are doing so because they’ve made a lot of the same mistakes.

You aren’t doomed to be a terrible person because you’ve been unkind to your horse.

What matters the most is how you self reflect and make adjustments once you do know better.

This is why I would love to see the industry adapt to be more horse welfare focused and normalize more education on horse behaviour and operant conditioning.

Most people don’t start out in horse sports wanting to harm horses.

Everyone is capable of changing and adapting.

Modernizing the horse world with an evidence informed perspective on horse welfare and training will benefit the horses AND people.

I am incredibly grateful for the people who relentlessly shared information that helped lead to me recognizing how I had gone wrong.

While I denied it initially, fought with them and commented in the same ways as many do in my comments sections now, their words planted seeds.

Seeds that matured into a major paradigm shift.

So, if fear of being labelled as a bad person is holding you back from being honest with yourself about toxic behaviour patterns, don’t let it.

The commitment to doing better by your horses is a noble journey and making that choice speaks for your love of horses.

Growth is sometimes messy and no one is born perfect.

I don’t advocate for welfare because I’ve always been this way.

I advocate for it because I have been on the other side and I wish I had learned earlier.

Top photo is me on my Arabian gelding at ~ age 15 (2011)

Bottom is Milo and me in 2024.

04/17/2025

04/15/2025

Yesterday we spoke about exercise. Today we want to focus on the second rule in the three part formula: discipline.

This is creating AND maintaining clear and consistent rules, boundaries, and limitations. Consequences for actions help to keep the peace, it aids in the prevention of unsavory choices, it ensures that not only your dog but also you do your best and play by the rules.

Behavior is controlled by consequences. Simple as that. Everyone assumes the word consequence is a "dirty word" but it can be used for both positives and negatives as the word consequence by definition is the result or effect of an action or condition. Let's think about it this way: if you drive the speed limit, don't run stop signs, and are ultimately a good driver then you may get some cash back for being a good driver. The consequence? A cash reward for being a good driver. Now let's flip the tables: if you go over the speed limit, run the stop sign, or swerve in the lanes then you are ultimately going to get pulled over and receive a ticket. The consequence? A hefty ticket and possibly suspended license. See the difference?

Most people want to make it more complicated than it really is but here's the thing: actions are always controlled by consequences. Period. We know that when we go above the speed limit we will receive that nasty and unsavory speeding ticket as a consequence for breaking the law. And for most people, this is considered a valuable consequence. This is the same for your dog. Once the rules, boundaries, and limitations are set in place and the dog has a understanding of what is and what is not expected of them through being taught by you, the owner, then it's up to consequences to ensure they're followed.




P.S. this is Matti. She boarded with us for the weekend. She was able to have a weekend vacay while her owner did the same.

04/08/2025

A great example of engagement building!

04/05/2025

Understanding Littermate Syndrome in Puppies

Bringing home two puppies from the same litter might seem like a great idea—they’ll have built-in companionship, right? However, many dog owners are unaware of the challenges that come with Littermate Syndrome, a behavioral condition that can develop when sibling puppies are raised together.

What is Littermate Syndrome?

Littermate Syndrome is a set of behavioral issues that arise when two puppies from the same litter (or even unrelated puppies of the same age) are raised together. These issues often stem from excessive bonding between the puppies, making it difficult for them to develop independence and proper social skills.

Signs of Littermate Syndrome:

Severe Separation Anxiety: Puppies become highly distressed when separated, making training and socialization more difficult.

Fearfulness: They may become overly reliant on each other, leading to increased anxiety in new situations or around unfamiliar dogs and people.

Difficulty in Training: Since they focus more on each other than their human, training sessions can become ineffective.

Inter-Puppy Aggression: As they grow, fights between littermates can become more intense, sometimes escalating into serious conflicts.

How to Prevent Littermate Syndrome

If you’re raising two puppies together, consider these steps to ensure they grow into well-adjusted, independent dogs:

Separate Training Sessions: Train each puppy individually to ensure they learn to focus on you rather than each other.

Encourage Independence: Allow them to spend time apart daily so they learn to be comfortable alone.

Socialization: Expose each puppy to different people, dogs, and environments separately.

Individual Bonding: Spend one-on-one time with each puppy to strengthen your personal relationship with them.

Should You Get Two Puppies?

While raising two puppies is possible, it requires significant effort and commitment. If you’re considering adopting littermates, be prepared to implement structured training and socialization strategies to prevent Littermate Syndrome.

By understanding and addressing Littermate Syndrome early, you can help your puppies grow into happy, confident, and independent dogs!

04/01/2025

I was delighted to receive this fantastic video of a client and their dog. They have done great work towards shaping the settle/place cue! We just introduced this skill a few days ago and the results of their diligent practice are obvious in the video.

We use a settle/place mat to help our dogs generalize the concept of settling in different environments. The mat will become an indicator that the dog will be hanging out in this location for a longer duration of time than just you're average stay. It is a great tool for introducing your dog to café or outdoor restaurant seating and goes a long way towards making your dog manageable and fun to bring with you on pet friendly outings.

Keep up the great work Amanda & Nyx!