Positively Splendid Dogs

11/13/2023

✨🐾 Appropriate enrichment activities are a huge part of a dog's behavioral and wellness needs! While we do take advantage of many wonderful enrichment toys, there are also loads of "in a pinch" opportunities to be had as well 😁 And the best part is, it doesn't cost anything extra! Here's just one fun example..... Autumn Snuffle 🍂🍁

07/02/2023

🐾🎆🐾 Neighbors setting off fireworks yesterday afternoon was a reminder that the 4th of July (aka the world imploding as far as many dogs are concerned) is nearly upon us.....

Having four adolescent GSD household members means that I'm ALWAYS PREPARED for whatever may come 😂
And for silly teenage puppers, one day fireworks may be no big deal but after three or four days straight they may evoke a meltdown!

So I just thought I'd share a few of my own tips and tricks for anyone else who may want to help their zen dogs stay zen or support their fearful pups as best possible 😊

A. I like to utilize natural anxiolitics. 😌 Below are some that my pack find to be effective!*

B. Long lasting chews, best served on a silver platter - variety is the spice of life 🤌 (description in pic caption)*

C. Snuffle rugs, lick mats, and food puzzles 😅 oh my!*

*There are many options out there - be careful in your choices and do plenty of research 😊 Stick with what you believe is best suited to YOUR dog!

Playing music (whatever your dog finds enjoyable - for Evey it's very specifically the Italian Cooking Music radio on pandora 💃🤷🏼‍♀️) to help mask the firework noises can be helpful for some dogs, and always prepare a safe, cozy spot for them relax or even hide if need be!

Please note that this post is not geared toward doggos that are truly terror stricken and cannot be consoled - prescription meds from your vet are likley the best option in that case!

Feel free to share! Sharing is caring 🙂

02/15/2023

While our session covers a lot of behaviors that I really like and am continuing to build layers of by reinforcing in various ways, the MOST IMPORTANT aspect is always the dog’s emotional state during activities/training. I want this partnership to be one of mutual enjoyment 💕, so my goal is to create stability as best I can within the environment and provide support + clear guidance. By doing these things, I’ve been able to cultivate a GREAT RELATIONSHIP with Brida (and everyone else🐾)

While our session covers a lot of behaviors that I really like and am continuing to build layers of by reinforcing in various ways, the MOST IMPORTANT aspect...

01/30/2023

More Brida Burrito 😁

By playing with two toys of fairly equal value at once, we start to build the idea of releasing one (outing) to play with the other. Most important: the toy being played with needs to go still or “dead” while the other is then animated or made “live” - this helps her to distinguish which toy I’d like her engage with. I’m not actually using the verbal “out” cue, as building understating of releasing is the goal here. The cue is not added until I see a solid understanding of a release. I am using sounds in play/maintaining interest and in switching between the toys because I’ve found this aids her in understanding of what I’m asking. Short sessions with just a handful of reps 👍
*Brida knows this game and also understands the “out” cue, so the way she plays and responds may look different than a dog who’s just beginning to learn.

By playing with two toys of fairly equal value at once, we start to build the idea of releasing one (outing) to play with the other. Most important: the toy ...

01/30/2023

🐾Fun stuff😊

There’s a few things being worked on here: relationship, trust, & disengagement. The basic explanation is: Relationship building by “foraging” together, trust by learning that when I’m pointing/directing there’s value, and disengagement by working with three snuffle rugs at once and reinforcing her moving among them even when they still all contain food + leaving them at the end for a higher value item 🐾

There’s a few things being worked on here: relationship, trust, & disengagement. The basic explanation is:Relationship building by “foraging” together, trust...

08/02/2022

07/18/2022

Yeeeesssssss! Absolutley, positively, unequivocally, THIS ⬇️

🤗👍🌟💫🐾💖✌

"YOU are your dog's best advocate and guardian, you make appropriate decisions for your amazing dog!" ~ Lauren Langman

A MUST Read!!!

Courtesy of the Ballina Veterinary Hospital

My Dog is Friendly!

A Public Service Announcement
There is an epidemic happening across the country and no one is safe. It’s occurring on crowded sidewalks, on footpaths and on beaches. It doesn’t discriminate based on race, age, or economic status.

Innocent dogs and their owners are being terrorized, chased down the street, pinned into corners by…other dog owners.

But, you ask, don’t all dogs like to meet, greet, and play with other dogs, even unfamiliar ones? How rude of them not to greet me and my dog! Not so, kindhearted dog lovers, not so at all.

In every city, town, and suburb, loving, law abiding families share their lives with dogs that, for a variety of reasons, cannot or would rather not, socialize with other dogs.

Today we call on all dog lovers to take a stand on behalf of dogs that walk in public while they simultaneously cope with one or more of the following:

contagious diseases
leash reactivity
service or working dogs
injuries and painful physical conditions
intolerance of other animals
recovery from surgery
fearful of unfamiliar or rowdy dogs
aging and elderly dogs
learning self control around other dogs
are owned by people that want to be left alone.
Owners have every right to walk the streets with their dogs on leash using a standard 4-6 foot leash, without interacting with strangers, whether that be human or other dogs.

And yet…they are hounded, day after day, by cheery, well meaning dog owners who insist on meeting them, at the same time yelling "my dog is friendly"

PLEASE, IF YOU SEE A DOG ON A LEAD AND YOU ARE EITHER ON YOUR OWN OR YOU HAVE A DOG, ASK THE OWNER OF THE OTHER DOG IF ITS SUITABLE FOR THEIR DOG TO SAY HELLO OR BE APPROACHED.

IF NOT THEN SIMPLY SAY OK, ACCEPT THEIR DECISION AND CONTINUE ON YOUR MERRY WAY.

Here is an example:
An owner is working on his dogs manners, let’s say it’s leash reactivity. He has some issues with strange dogs, but is in training so that he can learn to stay calm in their presence. The owner spots another dog coming and looking out for their dog, they create some distance and do a sit-stay with eye contact. The goal: to keep cool while the other dog passes.
What happens?

Look! Another dog. "Let's go say Hi to that dog Milo" and so the owner takes a very excited Milo over to the dog in training and instead of asking, the owner says "my dog is friendly, he just wants to say hello"

What happens next is most likely a fight between the 2 dogs with two very upset owners. We see it often 🙈😢
What can you do?

Remember that you are the voice for your dog, you need to be the voice and protect him because no one else will do it for him. If you have a reactive, nervous, anxious, timid, shy, aggressive, young, old or dog in training, then you have a right to protect your dog.
A quiet, but firm warning, “My dog doesn’t like other dogs.” or "my dog is in training" should be enough to protect your dog and keep others away.

If you are the owner of "a friendly dog" just remember that not all humans like each other or even have to approach each other and it's the same with dogs. Not all dogs have to meet and greet one another. Also try and respect the other dog and his owner. Don't take it personally, don't get angry and don't get in a verbal altercation. Simply carry on with your walk ♥️

07/02/2022

As you prepare for the 4th of July holiday, here are some helpful reminders to protect your pet during the celebrations.

06/18/2022

A very important consideration here is cooperative care, which Whole Dog Journal defines as: "Cooperative care involves training an animal to not only tolerate handling and husbandry procedures, but also to be an active, willing participant in these experiences."
We can make the best of stressful situations by taking the time to educate our dogs!
Need some guidance on how to get started with cooperative care training? Visit positivelysplendiddogs.com or message me! 🐾🌟

"Improving the veterinary experience for domestic dogs and their owners is important to promote canine welfare and owner compliance with routine veterinary care. Incorporating dog owner perspectives on portions of the veterinary appointment can help increase dog owner satisfaction and clinic visits. Thus, an online survey was distributed to current dog owners residing in Canada and the United States, to assess owner agreement towards 13 handling techniques used on dogs during routine veterinary appointments, when the participants’ dog was calm, fearful, or aggressive. We also assessed the influence of participant’s pet attachment and demographic information on owner agreement towards the handling techniques. Participants (N = 1176) generally disagreed with the use of more restrictive techniques and agreed with less restrictive techniques, regardless of dog behavior. We found that dog owners preferred full body restraint used on fearful dogs if they had previous veterinary experience or were male; whereas dog owners preferred minimal restraint used on fearful dogs if they had a stronger attachment to their pets or if they did not have previous veterinary experience. As owner perspectives align with current handling recommendations, we encourage veterinarians to incorporate owner perspectives to help improve dog and owner experiences during routine veterinary care."
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/11/1387

Veterinary care can be a source of stress for domestic dogs and their owners. If a dog owner is not satisfied with the veterinary experience, this may reduce the frequency of veterinary visits and negatively impact a dog’s health and welfare. Allowing dog owners to offer their perspectives on....

05/17/2022

🌟 What's your dog's favorite "just because" treat? 😀

This may be a little bit controversial, but…

It’s okay to give your dogs a treat for merely existing. 😱

*GASP*

Of course, everything in moderation is always key, and we don’t want to be overfeeding our dogs. Those factors aside* – you’re not a horrible human being if you give your dog a treat for simply existing every now and again.

You see, we have this idea being drilled into our heads that a dog “must” perform and “must” act a certain way to receive a reward at all times. For transparency, I use food in all of our training and agree that positive rewards are key for us in these circumstances. However, I find it peculiar for us to have this super high expectation of our dogs to always be “perfect” and “good”.

Do I have special treats that I save for training to keep them high value? Absolutely.

Do I also sometimes give my dogs a treat, just because? Absolutely.

While I believe training to be an integral part of dog ownership and maintaining a healthy & happy life with your pooch, I think it’s also important to remember that dogs are sentient beings and not robots.

Life is short, and a dog’s life is even shorter. Small moments of joy and happiness are worth more to me than the unattainable perfection that social media has all of us chasing for our pets. Think of all of the times you’ve treated yourself to an ice cream, a small gift “just because”, or when you last received a bonus at work. Never feel guilty for doing the same thing (in moderation) for your pets!

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* Of course there are other scenarios where food rewards must be more tightly kept (working dogs, dogs with dietary concerns, etc). Never feel badly for the choices you make for your individual dog, and know that each scenario is unique to each household. You’ve got this!

05/10/2022

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