Dogs ‘N Action - DNA

02/25/2025

Don’t judge a service dog’s behavior when the dog is focused on the handler. You don’t know their medical needs.

02/19/2025

And cute.

02/18/2025

02/05/2025

I love this quote from Patricia McConnell. If you haven’t read her books, read them ALL. We shouldn’t measure progress by our dog’s ability to cope with social situations, we should measure how safe and happy they feel ❤️

01/16/2025

Just say “no” to these tools!!

Yesterday and today I saw clients who were using these instruments of torture.
They were told to use them by their previous “trainers”
They were told that they didn’t hurt.
They hurt and damage the delicate neck, the thyroid gland, the trachea….many get terrible arthritis in their neck as they age, from this equipment.

I train humans.
I train humans to treat their dogs with kindness, love and care.

Does pain and intimidation work?
You bet it does.

Does the little boy threatened with a beating clean up his room before his dad gets home? Of course.

 Does the little boy down the street clean up his room just as well when his dad promises a hot fudge sundae if he gets it accomplished?

I don’t know. Maybe the little boy who is threatened cleans up his room better? Maybe the boy excited to get a hot fudge sundae does a better job?

One relationship will leave the child living in a state of fear. Emotional scars will last.
Nobody wants to live their life afraid of what’s around the corner.
Nobody should want to inflict this on their dog.

I want my dogs to be happy and excited when I walk in the door. Happy about what fun we will have and what wonderful thing we will do next. Not afraid about what will happen and what pain will be inflicted.

Can’t believe this kind of stuff still goes on, but it does.
It’s not OK. It does hurt.
It really really does.
❤️‍🩹🐾

Grateful to have made a difference today.
We can’t help every dog, but for those that we do help, by training and educating their humans, their lives have been changed forever. 

01/13/2025

The pet professionals in your life should always be advocating for your animals. ❤️

01/11/2025

Let's get real for a second.

The world often paints a picture that dogs who live together are best friends and do everything together.

This is just not true. Many many many multidog household utilize management in different situations to allow dogs personal space to enjoy things such as:

- feeding time
- chew time
- play time
- attention time

This. Is. Normal.

Just because someone utilizes management, doesn't mean their dogs don't enjoy each other's company or have fun together. It just means that there are certain activities that they prefer to do on their own.

And I will tell you firsthand that implementing safe space zones and time apart can be so beneficial to the relationship between two dogs.

Think about it-- do you enjoy doing every single activity that you do at home with your spouse, family, or sibling RIGHT there? I don't think so.

So let's normalize management between dogs who live together!!

Do you want to work on your dogs' relationship and/or interactions? Go to my website here to schedule a private consult: perkedears.com/private-training-sessions

01/07/2025

I do understand some heavy coated dogs prefer cold weather Great Pyrenees, Huskies, Akitas etc., however your chihuahua, doodle, Labrador, German shepherd, Border Collie, Aussie, mixed breeds etc. need to be inside.

01/05/2025

Many of you know I have retired starting this month (January 2025). What many of you don’t know is the reason. This article explains it far better than I can. I am emotionally exhausted by the abuse I see in my field. Please choose to train with an educated professional, one with credentials. The best have letters after their names such as KPA, APDT, IAABC, and any member of the Pet Professional Guild. Do your research, I beg of you, for the sake of your dog. PS Virtual dog training is much better than the in person training you’ll find in our area.

Canine Pro Annie Phenix shares some heart-breaking, real world stories of the pain and suffering she and her colleagues see happening to dogs.

12/29/2024

Always remember you control every aspect. Please let them keep their individuality. Life with dogs is controlled enough. Dogs need kindness, patience and understanding, not dominance or more control. Help them understand how to integrate into your lifestyle by sharing experiences, not by controlling behaviors.

12/27/2024

Raw feeders, take note! Avian Flu (H5N1) is on the rise and could pose risks to your pets. 🐕🐈🚨

🧭 Navigating a fresh food diet when a biosecurity concern enters into the food supply is uniquely challenging and often leaves pet parents questioning the safety of the food they feed.

👉 Here’s a breakdown of common food sources affected by H5N1:
Chicken
Turkey
Duck
Quail
Pheasant
Goose
Wild Game Birds
Eggs

🚨 Thoroughly cooking all raw products that are fed to cats is highly recommended to avoid the risk of H5N1 infection because of their increased susceptibility to death. Furthermore, cooking poultry and beef products that are fed to dogs is strongly encouraged until further data is obtained on cross-species transmission.

📰 Here’s what you need to know – Raw Feeding H5N1 Biosecurity Announcement from the perspective of a pro-raw Certified Canine Nutritionist: https://mailchi.mp/perfectlyrawsome.com/raw_feeding_h5n1_biosecurity_dec_2024