Dog Joy Society

15/04/2025

This can easily be an overlooked part of training process. It might seem counterintuitive to wait before working with the dog in the environment where they’re struggling. But in order to set the dog up for success so that we see more of the behavior we do want, we first have to take a step back and think ahead to the skills that will be needed to navigate that challenging environment. This is training for the moment instead of in the moment.

15/04/2025

🐾🌺SPRING OFFER🌺🐾 (book by 5/1)

*Screening required for all potential clients. This ensures I’m a good fit for you too!*

🌼 $234 for 3 session package (35% off)
•includes free consultation
•virtual (anywhere) or in-person (ATL area) available
•I’ll create and guide you through a comprehensive training plan based on your & your dog’s needs
•build a strong foundation by learning new skills for you & your dog and get started on lasting behavior change
•additional sessions may be needed for certain behaviors

🌼 $90 for 1 session “boost”
•trainer tips rather than entire training plan
•get help pinpointing why you’re stuck in making training progress or checking if you’re on the right track
•great for bolstering current efforts or discovering where to pivot
•holistic view may include suggestions for enrichment/exercise strategies
•professional evaluation of a specific behavior or general insight to add clarity and understanding of your dog

🌼 DM or comment for more details! (Book by 5/1) Find my website and email in bio.

19/02/2024

I love helping dogs who exhibit leash reactivity.

Two of my own rescues have been great teachers in this, including Comet here.

A lot of reactivity therapy involves increasing engagement - i.e. our dog looking at us, checking in, taking treats from us - while on leash. We begin teaching engagement in low-distraction settings like inside the house, then slowly build up difficulty like backyard, front porch, quiet neighborhood block or park, and eventually more challenging outdoor settings.

The very first step is to pay attention to your dog. Teach a marker word or clicker, and mark and reward when they look at you. Repetition is key.

Once into more challenging settings, keep in mind that though it may seem like a relatively simple thing for our dog to look at us, the choice to look away from something stressful or exciting is not actually very easy. Increasing value of treats as the settings get harder is important.

Comet has learned engagement including checking in with me around other dogs. Her reactivity still requires some management in certain situations like making sure she has enough distance and utilizing pattern games. The skill of learning to look at me even while around distractions is foundational to all the progress she’s made.

18/11/2023

⚠️ Safety tip for dog walks ⚠️

The number of off leash dogs in parks, neighborhoods, and trails seems to be off the charts. Having an off leash dog rush up to you, especially when your dog is not “dog friendly”, can be a really scary experience and leave pet parents feeling powerless. I have certainly been there, feeling helpless hoping that the dogs don’t start fighting, and was not a fan.

I started carrying this PetSafe SprayShield “just in case” on walks and have had to use it countless times. Fortunately, unlike pepper spray, if used correctly it will not harm you, your dog, or the other dog.

The scent of the citronella spray acts as a deterrent, and it should be aimed at the dog’s nose. In my experience spraying it while the other dog is still a few feet away works well as the spray and sound will keep the other dog at a distance or scare them off. It makes a bit of a hissing sound which can be aversive to more sensitive dogs, but I’d rather prevent something worse from happening.

I hope this helps people feel more secure on walks - I know it does for me - and keeps more dogs safe!

18/09/2023

Bailey day 11!

It’s official — Bailey’s going home!!!!

He has another week with me and then will be heading to live a wonderful life in CA 😎

His adopters don’t mind him getting on the furniture so we aren’t worrying about keeping him off anymore. In other news, he’s now stepping down into the mud room to go out back with out the bed there to help him 👏

15/09/2023

A photo timeline of Bailey’s time with me so far.

When I offered to foster him I knew it would be a good chance for him to decompress and build some confidence and for me to learn more about him before going to his forever home.

What I’ve learned/confirmed Bailey needs from an adopter:
1) A willingness for Bailey to have an indoor potty spot in the beginning. For me, it took 3-4 days for him to only eliminate outside. Until then I had potty pads set up. He really doesn’t want to go potty inside and tries not to, he just doesn’t have another option until he’s comfortable going to the backyard. When he does go potty inside, he needs a calm and quiet response that means to just clean up the mess and otherwise make nothing of it.
2) He’s content to sleep a lot during the day and entertains himself with toys well. He also can get some spurts of energy including being a little jumpy/mouthy at times and will need someone to handle this in the right way. That means removing attention slowly and quietly, and redirecting him to do something else, like offering a toy or seeing if he needs to go potty. (This behavior tends to be a sign that he needs to go potty.)
3) Will absolutely need to work with a force-free, positive reinforcement trainer. Consulting a veterinary behaviorist would also be a good idea. This is a commitment of time, money, and effort. And patience!
4) To understand the importance of meeting Bailey where he is and helping him feel safe. This means going at Bailey’s pace and not putting him in situations where he’s uncomfortable.

Bailey is so lovable. He’s sweet, cuddly, playful, adorable, and smart. He’ll be a lovely companion for the right fit.

There has been some interest but nothing is finalized yet. Please contact me through DM or email [email protected] if interested in talking more about Bailey!

15/09/2023

Bailey day 8!

Today included fun play sessions and a vet visit. He’s now up to date on all vaccines and got a microchip. He was a bit fearful at the vet but actually did pretty well - ate treats throughout the visit, and the vet team was thoughtful in their approach. 💛

I plan to post a more complete update tomorrow about what I’ve seen of his behavior so far and what a potential adopter can expect. 🐾

12/09/2023

Bailey day 5!

Bailey had THREE outdoor potties today! He also stayed out longer afterwards and did some sniffing as well as running around. He’s so bouncy!

We started to work on him laying in a cozy spot next to the couch vs jumping up, in case the future adopter doesn’t want him on the furniture.

More puppy behaviors are coming out as he gets more comfortable; just working on gently redirecting, and rewarding desired behaviors. 🐾

11/09/2023

Bailey day 4!

Went potty outside again this morning. Spent more time today watching the backyard from the dog bed in the mud room. He’s now more often & more easily stepping down from the kitchen onto the bed.

Nothing else huge to report but some other updates: He loves to hold and carry toys in his mouth. He’s cuddly and did well again today being left home alone in his puppy pen. He’s getting a little more mouthy and jumpy at times. He’s improving at picking up tossed treats from the ground.

10/09/2023

Bailey day 3!

Outdoor potty happened today 🙌

It took about 30 minutes in the morning with Alex sitting in the mud room by the back door, me sitting just outside the back door, Chief outside to help pique Bailey’s interest, and a dog bed in the mud room to cushion the tile floor & big step down. The morning was nice and quiet too. After he pottied he bounced around with Chief a bit - still fairly conflicted but was good to see him run around.

He did also p*e on the potty pad in the afternoon. This is an improvement from yesterday when he was too nervous to step on the potty pads.

He made it out of the back door this evening but not all the way to the grass - the park behind our house & other noises were louder than in the morning.

He’s continuing to get more comfortable exploring the living room and was left alone in his puppy area in the kitchen successfully for a couple of hours. 💚

09/09/2023

Bailey day 2!

He moved around the house more today and interacted with the dogs a little. He’s getting more curious about the backyard - watching the dogs go in and out, and Alex & me hang out there, is definitely helping.

We are leaving the door open for short periods and letting him explore coming near the doorway and looking outside, then going back to his safe spot (dog bed) without any sort of pressure - which looks like ignoring him for the most part. I’ll close the door if it starts to get noisy outside and I mark and toss treats away from the door when he gets close so he can choose whether to re-approach.

He finally went potty after almost 24 hours this morning, and went again twice more during the day. He’s not comfortable stepping on the potty pads yet so that will be my priority tomorrow. Our lack of reaction when he did go potty inside is teaching him that he’s safe.

He got some enrichment in the form of bark chips, grass, sticks etc. - bringing the outside in to him - to sniff and explore. He liked to pick up and chew on the bark chips, so to avoid ingesting them we switched to enrichment with some new toys - tennis ball and holee roller - and experiencing carrots and celery which he enjoyed carrying around and shredding.

08/09/2023

Bailey day 1!

I’m fostering this boy - same one from my post yesterday - for a couple of weeks while working on finding him a new home.

Today was mostly about decompressing, acclimating to the new space and sounds with some counter conditioning, and overall building trust. He did a lot of napping! He’s been social right off the bat with my boyfriend and me as well as our dogs - interacting through x-pen for now.

His biggest challenge still is not wanting to go outside. He actually hasn’t gone potty at all yet, but I’ve set up some potty pads to give him a temporary place to go.

I’m excited to see how he progresses over the next few days.

06/09/2023

*Puppy seeking new home*

Meet Bailey! Bailey’s parents hired me to help him overcome some fears and we’ve all decided that rehoming is the best option. He was purchased at 9 weeks old by a good-hearted elderly couple who love him but have been feeling very overwhelmed and whose physical limitations prevent the training and behavior modification goals from being reached. Asking $150 rehoming fee which will go to his parents.

Bailey is a ~4 month old Goldendoodle. He is an adorable, sweet and smart puppy. He is also much more fearful than the average puppy and is looking for a special home.

He is extremely sensitive to sounds and movements. He has been exposed to some aversive handling, is currently not going out of the front or back door of the home willingly, and is afraid of the leash. He is not currently going on walks because he becomes overwhelmed with the outside environment. Working through all this will require commitment to fear free interactions and training, and lots of patience and flexibility.

He is friendly with adults, just needs some time to warm up. He likes to play with toys and likes learning with treats. He is also exhibiting normal puppy behaviors like some light mouthing, jumping, and is working on potty training. He has been living with two small, older dogs who don’t reciprocate his attempts to play.

Ideal home:
-No children under 12, children must respect his space and sound sensitivity
-Securely fenced backyard for exercise and potty, lots of enrichment while he builds confidence
-Someone willing and able to work with him using only positive reinforcement, with guidance of a trainer (I’m offering 4 sessions to adopters at half-off, $180 total) and a veterinary behaviorist
-Another confident and friendly dog in the home

Please share & reach out to me with questions or if interested. Interested parties will be asked to 1) consult with me over the phone and 2) introduce all household members including dogs to Bailey first. I’m reaching out to foster-based rescues as well.

Bailey is currently located in Milwaukie, OR. He is up to date on puppy shots and scheduled to get boosters next Thursday 9/14. He still needs to be neutered. He is looking to go to a new home as soon as the right fit is found.

29/08/2023

Love this! There are no stubborn dogs!

Once again for the people in the back…

⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
There are NO 🅂🅃🅄🄱🄱🄾🅁🄽 🄳🄾🄶🅂
⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

🔹Dogs don’t deliberately disobey or resist their humans, just because.

🔹Dogs are largely motivated by what is rewarding and reinforcing for them, and what is aversive and punishing for them.

🔹Sometimes, what the human wants the dog to do is not as rewarding as what the dog wants to do, or perhaps the dog finds it unpleasant or scary.

🔹To train a dog that seems stubborn, you need to make yourself more rewarding and reinforcing than anything else in the environment. Plus ensure the dog feels safe.

21/04/2023

Training website is live!!! Go check it out 🤩🐶💚

https://www.empoweredpawsdogtraining.com

10/02/2023

0 Likes, 0 Comments - Sarah Barham, KPA-CTP, FFCP () on Instagram: "Comet is a dog who’s continuing to work through leash reactivity and general discomfort around other dogs. As we walk through the park she’s noticing some dogs across the field. Although she’s doing a ...

09/02/2023

Does your dog pull on leash? Start with this! Loose leash walking is actually best taught inside your house where there are low distractions. It may seem counterintuitive but this is an example of training for the moment, not in the moment.

In this video I start by taking one step away from Chief. I click and treat when he catches up with me and his shoulder is lined up with my leg. After placing the treat down on the ground by my foot, I take another step while Chief is chewing and wait for him to catch up again. Once he catches on I start to add in additional steps one at a time before clicking and treating. As I’m building this duration I add in a few easy wins for him too, by clicking after just one step. Chief has done this exercise a lot. It’s good for your dog to wear their leash and harness (as long as they are comfortable with it) during this activity so they associate wearing the gear with loose leash walking. This is a good one to do with kibble from your dog’s daily meals, and make sure to get lots of practice inside in different areas of the house before taking it outside.

This won’t be very effective if you’re taking your dog for walks where they pull on leash at the same time. It’s best if you can take a break from walks and find other ways to exercise your dog during the time you work on this.

*Audio did not transfer from Instagram. I am using a clicker. I click right when Chief’s shoulder lines up with my leg. This tells him that the specific action he is doing when he hears the click is what earns him the treat that follows, and leads to him repeating that action!

08/02/2023

Meet the trainer!

I’m Sarah, professional dog trainer and founder of Empowered Paws Dog Training! I want to empower you to understand your dog as well as possible, and in doing so, empower your dog to communicate in effective ways so you can live your best life together.

My favorite behaviors to work with in dogs all relate to confidence and calmness. I especially enjoy leash reactivity, fear-based behaviors, barking/overstimulated behaviors, teaching puppies foundation behaviors and appropriate play, cooperative husbandry and veterinary behaviors, and foster and newly adopted dogs.

I have earned the titles of Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (2020) and Fear Free Certified Professional (2023). This means I’m skilled at using marker-based training - specifically, clicker training - which uses positive reinforcement to communicate in the clearest way to your dog what it is I want them to do. I am educated in the science behind training, known as learning theory, and it’s application, called Applied Behavioral Analysis. I am careful to monitor your dog’s body language and minimize any stress during the learning process. My training methods are always force-free and focus on making training exercises as simple and accessible as possible. It is my job to set you - the client - and your dog up for success! I enjoy teaching people about positive reinforcement training and getting them excited about how smart their dogs are. I have worked with clients both as a staff trainer for a Portland company and as an individual.

I hope you enjoy my FB page and maybe learn a thing or two. 😊 I’m also on Instagram . If you’d like to work with me as a trainer we can set up a free consultation to get started. 🐾 Please reach out to me at [email protected], send me a message, or comment on any of my posts with questions!