The Family Fido

08/19/2025

I did a consult this morning and was told by the family that their previous trainer described the dog as “dominant” and “needed to be put in its place.”

It’s 2025 people! Dominance is DEAD!

Guess what- the owner trying to be dominant got bit. Not surprising at all!

Here’s a quick little read on dominance and why it’s never effective in labeling or training a dog.

I dream of a world where owners can trust their trainers advice and not be left in such terrible side effects!

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/techniques/dominance-theory?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMRs7xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlGG9p8Pf0FwdfA9rUTXOLiAqu5ObTb9adj4iqQLAmtMcG9rQNBJJSStZz-C_aem_0Ch1ERvQIDfXAYSwkXGqFg

Find out why dominance theory is outdated, and positive training methods are effective.

08/17/2025

We ran to PetSmart for a dog bed, decided the TikTok ones were cheaper and better but the kids insisted on getting a few toys.

This pineapple by Outward Hound is a hit! I think I shouldn’t gotten 4, one for each big dog!

They love it without treats stuffed in it, just wait til I add treats!

08/16/2025

This is your friendly reminder that when it storms do something extra fun! Toss treats, have a dance party, play fetch inside, or get out that high value chew.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Some dogs don’t show signs of storm phobia until they’re 2 years old! Keep those positive parties rocking all through the years as they age:)

08/15/2025

This is an example of NOT good play.

They’re both black so it’s hard to see, but the one with a dot on its forehead is being a bully. He continues to corner the other, bark in its face, chase and steal space….so rude! You can see the one being bullied sniffing and avoiding. He does snap back, which some people do think is engagement but it’s very tight and puckered. It’s saying stay away!

This type of play left uninterrupted could lead to a dog hating playing with other dogs, create a fight, and is not fun.

Good play should be:

-Loose and wiggly
-50/50- like a dance back and forth
-Take breaks on their own to sniff the ground or shake off when it’s intense
-space sharing; not too much chasing
-equal times on top and bottom
-lots of Cs and big loose tail wags
-listening and paying attention to the other dogs cues

08/15/2025

I have no words!

I’ve gotten over being upset about shock collars, your dog- your choice!

Some dogs can handle them, do I think that the ones who handle them suffer, yes, but they aren’t ruined like so many others are by them.

But today I have no words for the trainers who thrive on using them on all dog.

I received a message from someone who was looking for a better option after an initial consult. In the initial consult the trainer slapped a shock collar on a Cavalier puppy!!!

A shy, shut down Cavi puppy! To teach eye contact and leash manners!

A lot of time I can pretend to understand why a trainer would use, but there’s no part of my brain that can understand why a shy, baby needs to be shocked! Thats straight up abuse and NOT training!

Read the breed discerption! I’ve never met a wild or mean one. In fact, I joke that my next dog will be a cavidor! A Cavi and lab mix because they’re some of the easiest breeds!

Thankfully, each week I meet clients who see the fear and damage and come to me after a bad experience.

08/14/2025

This is an example of what I call an impromptu pop up training session.

Training shouldn’t be formal and staged, it should be real life “asks” in the moment.

I was done with my cheese so decided I’d give it to Rex, but not for free. Sometimes I do give them my things for free, other times we do a quick session.

We did a quick down stay with the cheese I had left and then went on with our day. It was literally 2 minutes tops I put into it. I do this randomly and frequently with all my dogs and I do feel it’s more effective that scheduled and longer sessions.

It makes us unpredictable in our asks, so in the end when we truly need them to do something randomly, they’re prepared as random is all they know.

These pop up sessions should only be done once you’ve taught the behavior though, else you’ll cause on confusion.

08/13/2025

I ran into an old friend today and she said , “Jessi we got a puppy on the spur of the moment, what is the most important thing I need to know!” Of course my brain could write a book but my final short answer was:

1- crate train- it’ll save your life for potty training and managing the times you don’t want to “puppy!”

2- Feed what you like! Ditch the food bowl, use enrichment toys to feed and use the rest to reward good choices! Everytime you see the puppy sit or rest calmly- feed a few peices of kibble. OR the puppy has a shoe you don’t want to it have got trade them and prevent resource guarding by trading. OR the puppy is crazy with the kids, ask the puppy to come to you and scatter feed til it calms. It’s hands down the easiest way to control chaos; and your training 24/7!

I’ve had SO many puppies if a variety of breeds in my home and those are the two things I think are most important!

How else do you think I can get a 12 week old puppy to offer an adorable down-stay in a news room? They know what works!

Side note- Nacho is still available for adoption!

08/13/2025

When working with an excitable adolescent dog, it’s important to ensure focus and control before you go on the walk; then prior to even attempting your walk you need to warm up close to home with U-turns before venturing far from home.

The world is exciting and our young dogs have lots of energy! Even after Josie displayed this much focus before attempting to loose leash walk outside we did U-turns for 6 minutes before she was able to focus and walk nicely around the property with me due to being distracted and excited.

Consistency is key, I didn’t let her go explore until she could focus on me and walk nicely. Once she could settle and focus I did allow her to sniff as a jackpot!

Real life rewards are so valuable and we should use them.

Real life rewards in this case was she wanted to sniff the log pile, but I didn’t let her sniff until she could walk calmly to the pile of logs.

08/12/2025

This is your friendly reminder that not all trainers are equal! Even in the positive reinforcement category.

I was called to a consult for two dogs that fight at the door. They’ve had many fights and redirected on the owners arms and hands while they intervene.

Back in the day I would’ve implemented so many stupid things, making it an hour of training for each dogs each day!

Fast forward to 15 years later, I’ve done this enough now to know that not everyone wants to spend time training; they just want a quick fix.

My solution was this! Super easy and effective! We tried it 3 times, everyone was happy and relaxed and no fights. We will break the cycle, build trust and safety at the door, then reintroduce dogs after some other simple exercises in three months.