Surf Hounds

06/18/2025

Having a confident dog doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be a social dog! Dogs who are confident tend to intake their environment with curiosity, learn a little faster than others, and seem to crush thriving in their day to day. But just because they learn easily and handle their environment well, doesn't necessarily mean they will be a social dog who LIKES interacting with other people and other dogs. It's completely normal to have a confident, anti-social pup!

06/12/2025

I'm not crying, you're crying. My students are the best and I can't believe I get to wake up and do this every day 🐾💛

🐾 Laine and Bruno 🐾

I didn’t know I could do it but I did it…

My dog was anxious and high-energy from the beginning and I kept my dog too busy, overstimulated, excessively socialized and then he was attacked and he was just surviving in constant alert mode.

I spent months in my own sorrows feeling sad and upset my dog was reactive and overly anxious before I realized I needed help. I had to correct all my uneducated choices and spent many months working alongside Michelle with Surf Hounds.

Fast forward to now, Bruno and I both learned an immense amount of information together, I have the proper skills to train him, read him, respect his limits and make sure he feels less anxious and safe. To take time, adjust and read the situation but most of all, we’re more bonded, he trusts me and I understand him and the things he needs from me. I get him.

Moral of the story is sometimes raising a dog isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, and sometimes you have to change up your approach to get better results. It’s not just about training them to go to the bathroom, feed them and smother them…it’s about making sure they have respectful boundaries and know the limits for themselves, the people and the environments they are apart of and sometimes you have to let go of your own biases. POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR APPROACH WORKS.

Bruno used to be super nervous around other big anxious dogs and at times he still may be but he CAN and WILL be in their presence with my confidence, support, understanding and education. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts Michelle, we are forever grateful. ♥️🌟

01/28/2025

New drop coming on Patreon this week! We discuss how to move to a delayed reinforcement properly with your dog. We discuss when this may not be appropriate in behaviors like resource guarding and how to do this safely with realistic expectations!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/delayed-120985438?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Get more from Surf Hounds on Patreon

01/17/2025

What is the biggest trigger for your dog?

Knowing your dog’s triggers is the first step to helping them feel safe and comfortable. By understanding what sets them off, you can prevent reactive episodes by creating more space when these triggers are around and work through desensitizing your dog to them. I personally like to keep a journal of my dog's reactions day to day for 2 weeks up to a month. This can help you learn patterns, safe distances, and specific triggers. I also log things like health and weather to see if there are any commonalities. Why? We will pop on this weekend to discuss!

01/13/2025

Our wonderful friends at Spirit Animals: Sea Girt NJ are opening a second location in Brick! Yay! I can't say enough about these wonderful people and their love for dogs and their well-being during the grooming experience. You truly won't find anyone better!

01/13/2025

Want to train with easy digestible videos? Join us on our monthly training program to learn right from home and on your own schedule! With a basics membership giving you access to all of our short-form videos and a premium one with longer, more in-depth videos plus access to our Q&A's, we've got you covered!

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