Mindful K9 Training

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾❤️

I’m pretty sure these two must have been telling each other some really good jokes. 😂 Looking back at these pictures of my two rescue pups who are no longer with us, I can’t help but smile. Whatever was going on, they sure looked like they were enjoying life together. (Top Picture)

And now I get to watch my current two create their own stories, adventures, chaos, and plenty of laughs. (Bottom Picture)

Happy National Dog Day to the dogs who make us laugh, teach us, challenge us, and leave our lives better because they were part of them. 🐾

08/25/2026

Training doesn’t always happen on a walk or during a formal session. Sometimes the most important skills are built right where everyday life happens.

This doorway is a major pinch point in our home, especially with 220 lbs of dog sharing the space! Teaching my younger guy to give people and our older dog room helps reduce excitement, prevent conflict, and keep everyone safe.

Functional training = skills that make real life easier. 🐾

08/24/2026

Does your dog ever sniff their bowl and walk away… but suddenly become interested when that same food is scattered in the grass, hidden around the house, tucked into a cardboard box, or offered in a snuffle mat?

Maybe it isn’t always about the food. Sometimes, it’s about what they get to do to find it. 🐾

Dogs are naturally built to search, sniff, explore, investigate and problem-solve. When we place food in a bowl, we give them the end result, but we remove many of the behaviors that would naturally happen along the way.

When your dog gets to search or snuffle for their meal, that one simple activity can create opportunities for:

🐾 Sniffing & searching
🐾 Exploring & orienting
🐾 Problem-solving
🐾 Pawing & manipulating
🐾 Movement & navigation
🐾 Making choices
🐾 Gathering information about their environment

And sometimes, doing those behaviors is rewarding in itself.

This is one reason I love using food as more than just something we put in a bowl. A portion of your dog’s regular meal can become an opportunity to scatter feed in the yard, search through safe cardboard boxes, forage through a snuffle mat, find hidden pieces around a room, or investigate a simple enrichment setup.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The goal isn’t necessarily to make eating harder. It’s to give our dogs opportunities to participate in the process.

Of course, if your dog suddenly stops eating, has a significant change in appetite, or regularly refuses food, that deserves a conversation with your veterinarian. But for a healthy dog who walks away from a bowl and then enthusiastically searches for those exact same pieces of food?

Maybe the question isn’t always:

“Why won’t my dog eat?”

Maybe sometimes it’s:

“How would my dog like to receive their food?”

Because enrichment isn’t only about what we give our dogs.

It’s also about what they get to DO. ❤️🐾

08/23/2026

One box. So. Many. Behaviors. 🐾📦

In just this one enrichment activity, I can see:

Tearing • Shredding • Biting • Holding • Pawing • Sniffing • Foraging • Parading • Consuming • Problem-solving

Are these behaviors happening exactly as they would in a natural outdoor environment? No—and they don’t have to.

What matters is that this simple setup creates opportunities for dogs to choose, explore, manipulate, investigate and engage in behaviors that come naturally to them.

And sometimes, outdoor exploration just isn’t possible. Weather, injury or recovery, apartment living, shelter environments, busy workdays, mobility limitations, or dogs who simply need more opportunities to engage while at home can all limit access to those experiences.

That’s where thoughtful enrichment can be so valuable. ❤️

A cardboard box, some paper, a snuffle mat and a few treats can create opportunities for multiple forms of behavioral expression in one activity.

Enrichment doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it’s simply asking:

“What does my dog get to DO?” 🐕

08/16/2026

Behavioral diversity can happen in just a few seconds. 🌿🐾

In this short 12 second clip, we can see several different behaviors as Annie enters the woods:

• Rooting — head or full body into a smaller space for investigation
• Obstacle navigation — figuring out how to move through a changing environment
• Exploring — investigating new spaces and environments
• Trailing/Sniffing — collecting information through scent

None of these behaviors were specifically cued or directed. She’s simply interacting with her environment and making choices.

This is one reason I love giving dogs opportunities to explore natural spaces. We’re not just “letting them wander.” We’re giving them opportunities to use a wide range of species-typical behaviors, make decisions, problem-solve, and engage with their environment. Letting a dog be a dog,

That’s behavioral diversity. 🌱

08/08/2026

A little personal news I’m happy to share… ❤️

After years of learning, studying, continuing education, and mentorship, I’m proud to share that I am now an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant.

A very special thank-you to Delores Carter, whose mentorship, guidance, and belief in me have been such an important part of this journey. I’m incredibly grateful for everything you’ve taught me and continue to teach me.

This has been a journey of continually learning to better understand the whole dog and the families I work with, and I’m excited to continue growing in this field.

And to the families who have trusted me with their dogs, and to the trainers who have referred clients to me, thank you. I’m incredibly grateful for that trust and collaboration. ❤️

07/08/2026

Have you ever wondered why your dog does certain things or what their behavior may be telling you? This free resource (ethogram) is a wonderful way to learn more about your dog’s needs, natural behaviors, and overall well-being. If you find you want a deeper dive, now is the perfect time with 50% off courses.

For a long time, we at Family Dog Mediation have been on an expedition.

Mapping the way back to the true treasure of canine richness. Studying the history of the treasures, learning about their properties, understanding how to protect them, describing their inventories and elements in great detail, developing tools that provide direction to their unearthing, all so that our dogs can reclaim the wealth of a good life that was always rightfully theirs.

The map and treasure inventory is finally public for the first time.

The full Total Welfare Ethogram, the behaviors that tell us who a dog is and how they're really doing, in your hands. It's a gift. What you do with it is up to you.

The map is here. And everything that helps you follow it, the L.E.G.S. course, the new Optimizing Canine Welfare & Behavioral Diversity course, and the Deep Dives, is 50% off through July 31 with code TREASURE.

Get the free ethogram and start digging 👉 https://www.familydogmediation.com/total-welfare/ -welfare-app

06/30/2026

PET SAFETY | The intense heatwave will come with sizzling pavement temperatures that can cause significant burns to pet paws. When the temperature reaches the middle 90s the temperature of asphalt in sun can soar to over 155 degrees in just minutes. If it's too hot for you, it is too hot for pet paws! Avoid all walks on concrete or asphalt, especially during the day or peak afternoon heat.

NEVER leave your dog or pet in a hot car, even for just a few short minutes. Don't leave pets outdoors for long periods of time and make sure they always have clean, cool and accessible drinking water. Signs of heat illness in your dog can be excessive or rapid panting, staggering or difficulty walking, vomiting, confusion or disorientation and ultimately collapse, seizures or loss of consciousness in severe cases.

If any of these symptoms appear or persist, move them into shade or an air-conditioned area. Offer cool (not ice-cold) water to drink if they are alert. Use a fan to increase evaporative cooling. Do not use ice baths or very cold water, as this can reduce the body's ability to release heat. Contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital immediately, even if your pet appears to recover.