http://seespotplay.myflodesk.com/linkinbio

See Spot Play, Milwaukee, WI (2025)

01/16/2025

Lots of us are spending time inside or in smaller spaces due to weather, air quality, sickness, etc. It can start to feel a bit cramped, literally and figuratively.

I've also heard so many of my students say that their dogs find hides "too fast" at home compared to in class. That's okay! It's good, and not surprising, for dogs to have confidence and competence where they spend a lot of time. We don't need to have our dogs solve a super challenging puzzle every time.

Still, we do want to change things up. Luckily, there are ways to modify our familiar environments that 1) aren't very much work and 2) create fun new challenges for our dogs and us.

What variations are you going to try out?

12/05/2024

🎄If the holidays make you want to cry or pout, I've got you covered! I love this season, but the cold, the dark, decision fatigue, busy schedules, and weird distortions of time make it really hard to train with much consistency.

🎁Still, there's no greater gift to my dog than to show up for and with her. I came up with the "12 Days of Sniffmas" as a gift to future me, too - a training plan super easy to implement and adapt as things get hectic!

☃️My own challenge is to get Lily outside to new places while the crowds have thinned for the winter. All of these games can definitely be played from the coziness of your own home, though!

🎅 I hope you'll play along! All of it is meant to be flexible. Start now, start in January, start whenever! The goal is just to be present with your dog. Your dog can be searching for treats, a favorite toy, or target odor! Tag me in your videos and maybe St. Nick will bring you a treat, too!

12/04/2024

Want to be sure your pup isn't a Grinch this holiday season? Join our Pop-Up Howliday Sniff Party to share some festive cheer and put everyone in a good mood!

Dogs working either primary (treats or toys) or NACSW target odors are welcome!

Find out more at https://seespotplay.as.me/howliday

11/27/2024

Our nosework trial season has drawn to a close, and I couldn't be more thankful for or prouder of Lily as my partner. I like to think I've also become a better partner to her as she's been my joyful teacher.

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to trust one another. It seems like the most natural thing in the world, but also an act of resistance to trust another creature. To resist the impulse to assert authority through control rather than holding open space for what could be otherwise.

In "Social Play Behaviour: Cooperation, Fairness, Trust, and the Evolution of Morality," Marc Bekoff discusses animal social play as a clue to social morality: "There is a premium on playing fairly and trusting others to do so as well. There are codes of social conduct that regulate what is permissible and what is not permissible, and the existence of these codes might have something to say about the evolution of social morality. What could be a better atmosphere in which to learn social skills than during social play, where there are few penalties for transgressions?"

What better way to cultivate trust with our companions than through play? Not just chucking balls, but real, mutual, risky, joyful play? To allow ourselves to be surprised and delighted?

10/28/2024

🤔 Still unsure if our latest online course is right for you? Here are some answers to FAQs that will help you decide!

🐶 Don't wait too long, though! There are only 3 working spots remaining.

10/21/2024

As my nose work trial season with Lily winds down, I'm so grateful for the skills we've developed that allow us to relax and actually enjoy sniffing. We spent many long days in the car, driving three or four hours to travel sites and then hanging out in the car all day.

Lily was a champ! It didn't happen overnight, though. She had to learn how to load up in the car, voluntarily enter her crate, relax while I had to be away from the car, and deal with all sorts of sights and sounds going on around us. Knowing she was safe and calm let me breathe more easily, too.

I'd love to help you work on these skills, too! Whether you dog is insistent on being a backseat driver or a chaotic distraction, if our dogs don't yet have the skills to be calm co-pilots, car trips can be stressful, if not very dangerous.

Joyride: Creating Calm in the Car is a new course that uses pattern games and creative set-ups to provide a roadmap to success so you can adventure more and worry less.

This course is also tailored to your success with three different tiers of participation. If you're local, you can choose a Working spot that combines online lectures and homework with an in-person class at the end. An Auditing spot is fully online with feedback on homework from me. Or, choose an Observing spot that lets you follow along with everything on your own time! All levels get access to course materials for a full year.

The class kicks off Sunday, November 3rd. I'd love to see you there! For an extra bonus, use code CARTALK for 15% off any level of participation.

09/17/2024

Did you know that pain may be present in as much as 80% of canine behavior cases (Mills et. al., 2020)? Since September is Pain Awareness Month, I wanted to share some of my own experiences with chronic pain and dogs.

I have joint hypermobility and dysautonomia. My autonomic nervous system treats things like eating or warm weather, i.e. good things, as threats, so my system totally overreacts. Honestly, it really stinks, but things are improving. It wasn’t until my pain was under much better control that I realized how miserable I had been, both physically and mentally.

Many of our dogs with big feelings are also overreacting to stimuli we might otherwise think of as pretty harmless. To help our dogs (and ourselves!) respond less strongly, we need to find a way to lower that baseline response and basically recalibrate the system.

I’m very privileged that I had insurance and could afford to see so many different specialists, some of whom got it really wrong, and eventually got taken seriously about what I was experiencing. It’s wild how quickly pain and discomfort are disregarded.

When I first told the vet I thought Lily was anxious, she dismissed my concerns, saying Lily was just a young Lab who needed more exercise. I had to advocate to get behavior meds on board, which made an immediate difference in helping to lower that baseline arousal. Lily is blossoming into the best version of herself.

We don’t want to flood the system by exposing it to everything and trying to power through. We also don’t want to avoid everything so that we never learn to cope. Instead, we want to develop ways to help our systems quiet and regulate so we can develop new response patterns.

✨ How do we do that?✨

😣Treat underlying pain! Pain can only be ruled in, not ruled out.
👃🏻Breathwork
🤸🏻‍♀️Play!
🐶Pattern games that can regulate the system by providing familiarity in new situations while engaging in soothing behaviors
👯‍♀️Find that community that wants us to succeed

08/05/2024

Every August, I start to feel really glum that summer is winding down. The rhythm of the school year is in my blood. I was a college professor for the past decade and now am starting a Master's program in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare this fall. I love school! But I still hate the end of summer and the closing off of so many open possibilities that seem to go with it.

So, in an effort to create better feelings and treat the new school year as a new beginning, I'm launching the Dog Days of Summer Play Challenge! I'd love for you to join me.

What if developing a better life for you and your dog didn't have to feel like a chore? What if you got to learn more about your dog and yourself? What if you carved out just a few minutes a day for fun? I can guarantee that future you will be pretty happy that you did.

Each week, I'll share some tips, tricks, and ideas for you to try out. Tag me in a post or story for entries to win prizes from , and (Prizes are open to anyone in the US. I love supporting our local businesses, so I will substitute if you're not in the Wisconsin area. Contest not supported by or affiliated with Instagram. Details to come! ).

Don't have a dog? That's ok! You can try a lot of the same things with your cat, hamster, child, best friend, etc. Everyone benefits from opportunities to play!

What do you say? Wanna play?

08/01/2024

On Monday, one of my students exclaimed, "I'm just so glad to be around other dog people!" Welcome to the club, fellow snerd (sniffy nerd)! 🤓

If you're like me, you might love digging into alllll things dog. I may just be geeking out because I have access to a research library again, but I wanted to share some super cool science. I 100% believe that the more and better we can understand about our dogs, the better their and our lives can be. Plus, science as a discipline is embedded in and informed by culture (including all its problematic legacies), so the more conversations we can have about investigating presuppositions and approaching things critically, the better.

If you're more in the tl;dr camp, that's cool, too! You don't have to be a scientist to be wowed by your dog.🐶

I'll explain a bit more about the studies in the comments.👇🏻

There is so much more that could be said for all of this. We're only beginning to scratch the surface of the world of olfaction for dogs and they have so much to teach us. Can we approach them with more curiosity and accept that invitation into their world?

07/08/2024

🐶 I started nosework with Lily because, as a one-year old Lab with endless energy, she desperately needed something to do. She was also very reactive to other dogs, so walks in our urban environment often left me feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. On a whim, I signed us up for an intro class, and haven't looked back since.

🐕Little did I know what was in store with this journey! As Lily developed a love for searching, she developed skills in patience, engagement, and focus. Her reactivity has decreased significantly as we learn to navigate new environments together. I've developed such admiration for her and learned to be the teammate she deserves.

🐾 Anyone who knows my dogs knows how much Lily and JJ differ. While Lily prefers constant activity and being the center of attention, JJ gladly chooses naps and quiet. Still, JJ loves nosework, too! His style is his own and I've learned so much about him and his unique personality. Plus, as an older boy, he's happy for mental stimulation that's not too taxing on his body.

💜 Most of all, I had no idea the community I would find. We started in isolation just as things were opening after peak pandemic. The dreams of adventures with a dog were squashed when the reality of anxiety and reactivity hit. Yet, nosework offered opportunities for both of us. While Lily got to learn and play without worrying about other dogs, I got to form friendships and connections with such incredibly awesome and interesting people I never would have met otherwise. And, of course, I've gotten to meet sooooo many dogs. What could be better than that?!

✨ Feeling like you should have started nosework yesterday? It's not too late! Comment “All the sniffs!” below to receive a free getting-started guide. Your dog will thank you!

06/06/2024

How amazing is this montage from Barking Dog Images?!? Nadia was so easy and fun to work with, and expertly captured each dog in their element!

05/12/2024

🐶 Does your pup use your hands as a chew toy? Is keep-away her favorite game? Does your older guy no longer enjoy the things he used to?

🐕 Join Canine Einstein and See Spot Play for a unique workshop on June 8 and 22 that will give you practical ways to turn frustrating play into fun!

This one of a kind event will review the power of play for you and your dog, covering topics like:

🐾 What play is and what it's important

🐾 The different types of play

🐾 Examples of games and play techniques for you and your dog to make your play even more fun

We have two options:

1. Register with your dog for both days- you and your dog will be able to practice the games with hands-on support from the presenters.

2. Register without your dog, but be able to practice at home and submit a video for feedback! This is a great option for dogs who might not be ready for a group class.

✨ All who attend will be entered to win a raffle basket from local small businesses!

Register today- space is limited!

04/05/2024

When I first adopted Lily and JJ, it felt like training was a battle of wills. There were big feelings all around. With some great mentoring, I started viewing our relationships as playful collaboration rather than a competition for authority.

Enter all the sighs of relief. Training is no longer a chore, but a highlight of the day. In fact, I often don't think of it as training. Instead, we have some projects we're working on together with play and games as our foundation.

Living with dogs can be super hard! I will be the first one to agree with that. But life with dogs can -and should- be joyful!

I specialize in sensitive and reactive dogs - those pups who just have a more difficult time in the world and whose humans often end up feeling overwhelmed or hopeless. I'll help you develop skills to navigate the world and build your dog's confidence and calm using humane and science-backed methods. With several years experience as a professional educator living, working, and playing with dogs, I’m firmly committed to setting all learners up for success and growing that joy.

Tell me more about you! Leave a comment telling me your dog's favorite way to play.

04/04/2024

🐶📣 Alert! Join us for the next round of Intro to K9 Nose Work®, starting Thursday, May 2nd!

🐕Do you have a high-energy dog that never seems to settle? Here's a chance to channel that mental energy and put that brain to good use!

🐩 Do you have a sensitive doggo worried about new environments? Nose work is a great way to let dogs build confidence exploring at their own pace!

🤸🏻‍♀️Do you want a new sport to explore and enjoy with your pup? We got you!

🐾Classes run for 6 weeks, beginning May 2, from 6-7:30pm.
🐾Classes will be held at
🐾Register at the link in our profile!

03/11/2024

⚡ Are you ready to see what your pup can do? Do you want to deepen your bond with your dog? Wanna play?⚡

🐶 K9 Nose Work® taps into dogs' innate abilities to sniff out all sorts of things! Mentally enriching and tons of fun, this sport enables you to see the world from your dog's perspective. Comment "Alert!" to get a free getting started guide sent your way! 🐶

⚡ Don't miss out! Intro classes starting 4/15. Sign up at the link in bio!⚡

See Spot Play

01/16/2025

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11/27/2024

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