Pawsitive Pet Training & Services, LLC

05/16/2025

By far my favorite brand of Head Halter

04/08/2025

I definitely now recommend waiting to spay (and neuter) dogs. Here’s more supporting evidence for waiting to spay females🐾🩷

Monday Medical Corner:

Ovariohysterectomy, popularly known as ‘spaying’, is commonly performed on female dogs as a means of sterilization and to reduce risk of certain diseases including mammary tumors and pyometra (uterine infection). Recent evidence suggests that delaying this procedure until the dog is more mature (at ~18-24 months of age) offers behavioral, orthopedic, and other health benefits.

Dogs’ reproductive cycle is different than that of humans’. A dog’s estrous cycle includes multiple stages. The best known phase is proestrus/estrus or when the dog is in “heat.” This is the phase where the dog ovulates and can become pregnant if she is bred. This phase lasts about 3 weeks on average. The dog then enters diestrus – the phase of pregnancy. What is interesting about dogs is that the hormonal profile in diestrus is the same whether the dog is actually pregnant or not. During this phase, estrogen declines and progesterone rises (secreted from a structure called the corpus luteum [CL]). Progesterone is the hormone that maintains pregnancy. Diestrus in dogs lasts about 2 months – the average duration of gestation when the dog is pregnant. At the end of diestrus, the CL essentially dissolves or becomes inactive and progesterone levels drop. If the dog is pregnant, this change is part of the process that triggers the birth of the puppies and onset of lactation and maternal behavior.

After diestrus, the dog enters anestrus which is a period of hormonal quiescence. In the dog this lasts on average about 6 months as the typical complete estrous cycle in dogs is about 7-9 months long.

If a dog is spayed during diestrus, the precipitous drop in progesterone can mimic whelping and trigger the onset of maternal behavior – including maternal aggression. Since the dog does not have puppies, dogs may begin to guard other objects and show aggression toward humans or other animals. In rare cases, this aggression has persisted long term.

Since there is no benefit to spaying a dog during diestrus, we recommend that dogs be spayed during anestrus to prevent this possible complication.

02/17/2025

Made a new enrichment feeder for my dogs. Super easy to make:
Cut 3 pool noodles (got these at $1.25 Tree), cut into 1/2” rings, put them in a box or plastic tote. Simply toss meal in & let your dog’s nose do the work. Put it away once the food is gone. All 4 of my dogs really liked this new “game” (forgot to get pic of Mack😬)

02/15/2025

🩷🐾🩷

02/06/2025

AKC Fast C.A.T. (100 yd dash for dogs) is coming to Abilene 😎🐾
P.S.-Your dog must be registered w/the American Kennel Club in order to compete but registering a dog to compete in performance events (even mixed breeds) is easy to do !!

ABILENE KENNEL CLUB ALL BREED FAST CAT
4 AKC Events, Saturday & Sunday, April 12 & 13, 2025
Premium list on the website: abilenekennelclub.org
https://form.jotform.com/243568304109153

01/18/2025

Wow-what a fun surprise 🤩Thanks to all who voted 🩷

11/21/2024

Well done City of Abilene PR dept 😂😂Clean up ur 🐾💩

11/10/2024

Such a sweet tribute to his dog ❤️❤️🐾

10/16/2024

Happy Birthday Mack 🥳🐾God must have known I would need you when Dan said “we need to keep this one” when we fostered your litter ❤️

08/26/2024

Honestly, everyday is Dog Day for me🐾Share pics of your pups in the comments

07/04/2024

God Bless America 🇺🇸

05/06/2024

Here’s a video showing one of Mack’s
AKC Fast CAT runs in Lubbock this weekend. Never heard of Fast CAT? It’s the 100 yard dash for dogs. His personal best is 8.23 seconds