Engaged Dogs; Walking & Training

01/11/2026

“Did you know....
that lack of adequate, restorative rest increases emotional and behavioral reactivity, decreases learning capabilities, decreases working memory, increases impulsive behaviors and increases nervous system dysregulation in dogs AND humans?
Is your dog getting enough good quality, restorative rest to help them be their best self?
Our dogs have shorter REM cycles (lasting approx. 45 minutes, with approx. 10% of total sleep spent in REM) than us humans (approx. 90 minute cycles with 25% of our total sleep spent in REM/ the restorative, deep restful sleep) completing approx. 75% of their sleep needs overnight. This means our dogs must have adequate opportunities for good quality rest throughout their days.
Dogs’ sleep requirements vary based on age, breed, and activity levels.

Age is a key factor for determining the amount of sleep a dog needs.
Based on a wide review of the recent canine sleep research, consider the following recommendations based on age*:
Puppies (under 2 years old): 18-22 hours a day
Adult dogs (2 to 6 years old): 9-16 hours a day
Senior dogs (7+ years old): 12-20 hours a day
Additionally, it is important to consider your dog’s unique breed specific needs, their activity levels, and their environment, including their daily stress levels/ amount of nervous system dysregulation which may require MORE time for decompression and restoration through good quality sleep.”
Read more in our blog:
‘Is your dog getting enough quality rest to set them up for success?’

01/10/2026

01/09/2026

Creating a Treating Trail Mix can….
1) help build your dog’s gut microbiome
2) support their immune system
3) have them excited to work for a variety of nutrient dense snacks
4) help you identify their preferences easily by using a variety of flavors and textures

The perfect Treating Trail Mix includes:
1-2 high quality, nutrient dense foods, preferably with different textures and proteins
1-4 high incentive single ingredient treats
Your dog’s main kibble/food
You should have a mix of 3-6 options of different snack rewards, paying attention to which your dog is eager to work for and which they seem less interested in/ less motivated to work for. Utilize this knowledge to inform your reward systems when training.
Our Treating Trail Mix;
Some of our favorite additions:
· Open Farm Meal Mixers
(Any protein, though we most commonly use Lamb and Beef to avoid allergy/ food sensitivities challenges)
· Open Farm Lamb Kibble
· Ziwi Air Dried Lamb
· Stewart’s freeze dried beef liver**
· Kingdom Pet’s dehydrated chicken
· Dehydrated banana chips
· Vital Essentials beef nibs
· Vital Essentials chicken hearts**
· Carna4 Air Dried Kibble
(Any protein, though we most commonly use chicken and goat)
(**organ meats should only be 5-10% of their daily diet)
Read more in our blog:
Treating Trail Mix

01/05/2026

Benefits of playing the Engage / Disengage Game

To help your dog learn that:
1) You are the most rewarding, exciting, engaging thing in their world

2) It’s rewarding and a good choice to check in with you when they are experiencing big feelings and/or need guidance

How to play:
1) Find a low distraction spot that you can comfortably sit with your pup for 2-20 minutes. Ideally, this spot will be somewhere that is unlikely for other dogs + their humans to approach you or that you can easily block them while you advocate for your dog’s space. (Our goal is neutrality, so we do NOT want to allow greetings with others during this time as it will increase big emotions.)

2) Give them the opportunity to sniff the area thoroughly (acclimate) before sitting down.
3) Say nothing except for:
a) Marking, Praising and Rewarding voluntarily visual check-ins,
b) calling their name/ making kissy noises to interrupt and redirect them to prevent or interrupt a reaction (using this as a last resort. We would prefer to give them the opportunity to take in their environment as much as they like and wait for when they disengage and look to us to be able to Mark and Reward their behavior.)

4) Allow them the slack of their leash. Do not ask for formal behaviors.
Give them the opportunity to be present and watch their surroundings.
If/ when they look to you, Mark and Reward this with: “YES!” and a bit of kibble/ treat.

Look for moments when they look to a
trigger/ distraction that you would like for them to be neutral around and the moment they disengage and look towards you, Mark and Reward with “YES!” and a bit of kibble/ treat. The more often you mark the moments of disengagement from other stimuli and them choosing you OVER those stimuli, the more often they will offer this behavior.
-read more in our blog

01/03/2026

Are you following Aloka + the Walk for Peace? 🥹🐶🥰

01/02/2026

While the ‘New Year’ crown is real cute, it’s also helping these Engaged Dogs build confidence with a “get dressed” cue.
Happy New Year ! 🐶🥳🎉

01/01/2026

Jumping into 2026 with all of the enthusiasm of Echo jumping to catch a snack!
Happy New Year!! 🥳🐶🎉

12/28/2025

Dogs, like humans, transition with each season.

The shorter days are great for slowing down, resting, and leaning into indoor skills when the weather gets weird.

What are you working on with your pup at present? ⬇️

12/27/2025

12/22/2025

We are grateful, all year long 🐶🎄💙
Scroll to the end to see Penny Grace
pouring over her many gifts and snacks from our amazing clients who have become friends and family

12/19/2025

“For many humans, the holidays are a time of merriment, increased socializing, and stress as we celebrate with friends and family, host holiday gatherings, and rush around to complete our never ending to-do lists.

Humans often forget how these factors might impact their pups, perhaps only realizing once in the thick of Thanksgiving that their pup is trying to herd the children and might be having a hard time.

Most dogs are creatures of routine and comfort, and when something is different in their lives, like their routine is off or unfamiliar people are in their space, this can bring up big feelings and be very challenging for them for a variety of reasons.

Consider, for a herding dog, bred specifically to be a “chaos coordinator” and to round up and control perceived chaos, they likely interpret crowds of people with lots of movement as something that they need to address, as this is a genetically ingrained behavior in them.”- read more in our blog:
Setting Fido up for Success During the Holidays