How “Place” Can Help Prevent Separation Anxiety

Place is the answer to: if you DON’T like what I’m doing, what should I do instead? (Photo: pitbull puppy sitting on a thick dog bed)

Are you worried that you’ll accidentally teach your new puppy to panic when he’s left alone? Scared that he’ll spend his day pacing, drooling, whining, barking, and getting into the garbage bins? No one wants their puppy to be miserable when left alone, so why not take the steps to prevent this? 

Crate training and placework are two amazing strategies to help your puppy learn to be calm and relaxed on his own.

Did you know that if your dog is always touching you, being touched by you, and allowed to follow you everywhere in your home that they can develop separation anxiety? 

It’s very natural for dogs to follow a leader. It’s also very natural for dogs to always be with their pack. Packs don’t separate, so dogs don’t have a lot of knowledge of how to live with humans who come and go to work, school, and social events. It is our job to teach our dogs how to be comfortable and calm when left alone. 

If your dog is always on your lap, being petted, chatted to, and allowed to follow you (even to the bathroom,) then don’t be surprised when they want to follow you every time you unlock a door, turn a doorknob, or open a door. 

This is what’s natural to your dog. You must teach them how to feel well on their own when you go to work, school, or out to socialize with friends. (Photo: Wolves following their leader through the snow)

Add in a bunch of words that your dog doesn’t understand, like “It’s okay baby. Mommy’s only going to the mailbox,” or “Love you! See you soon! You’re the best doggie!” and there’s a good chance your dog will be even more anxious when you leave the house. 

From your dog’s point of view: “She’s acting very strangely with that soft energy and now she’s going out into the big, bad world alone?!?! I don’t think so! She needs me to protect her. Let me try to follow her out the window, since she clearly forgot me here (by shutting the door in my face.)”

One of the easiest ways to teach your dog that you don’t need to be followed all over your house (and into the bathroom,) is to teach her the place command. 

The place command is really cool because it’s actually communicating all of this in only one word: 

-go over here

-lie down

-relax and be calm 

-no one will bother you here, it’s a safe zone

-stay here until I direct you to leave 

Isn’t that amazing?!

Not only will your dog love to hang out on her comfy cot, she’ll love how she feels — calmness is much more natural to dogs than being “on” all day (excited, overstimulated, no “off” switch.) 

Now that she’s not allowed to follow you everywhere, she can learn that she doesn’t always need to be right behind you, on your lap, or being petted to be okay. That way, you can rest assured that she’s feeling well when you’re out getting groceries, going to a friend’s backyard for a bevvy, or going to work. 

Calmness feels sooooo good (Photo: Golden Retriever relaxing on a dog bed)

It’s important that pet parents understand that just like any command, place needs to be worked on a few times a day, every day for a couple of weeks in order for your dog to be able to stay in place for any length of time. You don’t simply purchase an elevated dog bed, tell your dog “place,” and then expect to host a dinner party and have her lie there with all those distractions on day one. 

Always build up duration, distance, and distractions slowly. 

You’ll begin with very short sessions using a leash. You’ll gradually work toward being able to communicate to your dog that even if you set the leash down, they should remain in place. Then, you’ll work through being able to pick up the leash without your dog breaking place. Gradually you’ll be able to increase the distance (how far away you can move from the cot/your dog without your dog thinking she should follow you.) Gradually, you’ll add in distractions, like children running/dancing/playing with their toys; your partner vacuuming the stairs; or someone opening a bag of treats. It’s so important that you add these types of distractions gradually. 

Dogs learn through repetition and if you always make it too hard and they fail over and over again, they won’t get the chance to learn what you actually want from them. 

Just like you wouldn’t head to your first dance class tonight and be able to perform a two-minute dance routine after watching it only once, your dog needs time to learn all the steps. 

Training takes time and your dog is worth it. 

Will I still use my crate when I’m at work, though? 

Absolutely. I wouldn’t expect any dog to lie on place all day while you’re at work or school. Use the place command to encourage calmness throughout the day when you’re at home. 

You can also use place in your backyard while you’re having a bbq; when you’re relaxing at your campsite; or when you’d like your dogs to stop wrestling and have some downtime. 

Check out last week’s blog to learn more about the place command: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/what-is-the-place-command

Remember: You’ve gotta be calm to teach calm. And you can do this! 

Have a great weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos: Jordan Bigelow @jordanbigs (pitbull puppy sitting on a thick dog bed,) Upsplash (Wolves following their leader through the snow,) Ryan Walton @rwltn1 (Golden Retriever relaxing on a dog bed.)

What is the Place Command?

As long as all four feet are off the ground and your dog is calm, you’re teaching the place command properly (Photo: Labrador Retriever puppy lying on a dog bed)

If you’ve never heard of the place command, you’ve come to the right place…pun intended, since it made it past the editing stage. Sorry not sorry. 

When we live with dogs, we sometimes end up telling them to stop barking out the window, or stop chasing the cat, or stop stealing food off of the countertop. What we don’t do, is provide direction to our dog of what we would like them to do instead of that undesirable behaviour.

Sometimes, we do ask our dog to do something else. How many of you have asked your dog to lie down on the floor or their dog bed, only to find they get up two seconds later and head straight back to that undesirable behaviour they were doing before?

We’ve all been there. 

Didn’t I just tell you to go lie down?!?!? What are you eating? (Photo: black pug licks a mat on the floor while a toddler wanders in the background)

Your dog’s state of mind is more important than you think. When you only address the dog’s body position, “Go lie down,” they lie down, but it doesn’t last because they are not in the right state of mind — calm. They are often still fixated on the noise they hear outside, or rip-roarin’-ready to chase the kids up the stairs again. As soon as you walk away or sit back down on the couch, they’re off like a rocket. It can be very frustrating. 

Ready for some good news? Once you properly teach the place command, this “getting up and heading straight back to business” won’t happen anymore.

Why? 

Because place is an implied down-stay that your dog has to be released from. No more strolling away to pester the cat, searching for shoes to chew on, or stealing the kid’s socks. You’re giving her a job: stay here until I say so. Read on to find out why that job actually feels good to your dog. 

Here’s how it works. 

The place command provides your dog a safe, quiet place to go and relax. It’s very natural for dogs to be calm. It feels good to them, so your dog will actually want to hang out there. In fact, sometimes they’ll go to place all on their own and take a nap. 

The easiest way to teach place to your dog is on an elevated dog cot. Because it is raised off the floor, it creates a clear boundary to your dog. 

You can use an elevated dog cot, or a nice thick bed like this one (Photo: pitbull puppy sitting on a thick dog bed)

The elevated dog cots prevent this — your pup’s feet shouldn’t be touching the ground while teaching place (Photo: terrier on a dog bed with his two front feet touching the floor)

You can use the place command: 

-to greet guests at your front door (your dog stays in place, and no one gets jumped on or nipped —YAY!) 

-to add structure to your regular day — send them to relax on place after mealtimes and after training sessions

-to keep your dog safe — if you break a glass in the kitchen, send them to place while you clean up the pieces

Next week, we’ll talk about other ways that the place command can help you and your dog on your path to wellness. 

To learn more about place, head to Instagram and check out our highlighted stories: https://www.instagram.com/gobeyonddogtraining/

Happy training, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Taylor Kopel @taylorkopel (Labrador Retriever puppy lying on a dog bed,) Charles Deluvio

@charlesdeluvio (black pug licks a mat on the floor while a toddler wanders in the background) Jordan Bigelow @jordanbigs (pitbull puppy sitting on a thick dog bed) Mitchell Orr

@mitchorr (terrier on a dog bed with his two front feet touching the floor.)

OTHER PEOPLE’S OFF-LEASH DOGS

Ready or not, here we come! (Photo: Two large off-leash dogs barrelling toward the camera lens)

Sometimes you do everything right and other people’s off-leash dogs still manage to throw a wrinkle into your on-leash walk. 

You’ve studied dog body language, you’re aware of your surroundings while out walking, your own energy is confident and calm, your dog listens to your commands around distractions, you’ve stepped up and told dogs to “Go!” and have been amazed at the results. What’s next? 

Here’s the final puzzle piece we’re going to tackle before moving on to other topics next week: what to do when you’re with other people and other dogs (walking with friends and family members) and you’re approached by off-leash dogs. This time, your own well-behaved dogs who have awesome recall are off-leash and under your control. 

Can your dog perform this behaviour outside and around distractions (like off-leash dogs?) (Photo: a dog doing a down-stay on his bed for a treat)

I thought this was a no-brainer. Pointing and saying “Go!” was working so well for me — until this happened: 

I was walking off-leash with Magic, a friend, and her one-year-old whippet mix. We were strolling across a wide open sports field, when two German Shepherds came gunning at us with no owner in sight. They were really far away, so I was surprised that they even cared we existed, but they very much did. As they approached, I assessed their behaviour as excited. Excited dogs can definitely start fights. They rush into other dog’s personal space (usually their face), ignore social cues (turning of the head, stiff body posture, lip curls,) and when your dog gets snappy (because the rude dog ignored the subtle cues of “give me space”) the other dog responds by snapping back. This can obviously escalate to a fight, especially when the humans get tense and nervous. 

As the dogs barrelled toward us, my friend was super nervous and leashed her dog. I stepped up in the front (way in front) and guess what happened? The dogs decided not to mess with me. One sprinted past on my right, the other on my left, and went straight to the rest of my pack like a magnet. I spun around as one of the dogs jumped on my nervous friend and Magic corrected it. I directed Magic to leave it. She did. I told her calmly that that was “Good.” 

I stepped in front of my friend and her dog again. This time, the dogs backed down and ran away. 

All before the owner was even in view! 

When she did stroll by she was staring down at her phone, completely oblivious that her dogs were causing other people drama. 

If your dogs are off-leash in a public place, this shouldn’t be you (Photo: woman staring down at her cellphone)

We all got off lucky that day. The German Shepherds’ greeting was very rude and had we not owned well-trained, balanced, and well-socialized dogs, there would have been a very ugly fight. 

This next story surprised me even more! Ready? 

My partner and I were playing fetch with Magic in a very spacious park. As usual, we were out in the open, so that we can be aware of on-coming doggie traffic and calmly assess. We are the type of polite people who leash our dog when we see on-leash dogs, even at a distance. 

Two off-leash dogs were approaching from quite far away. Their humans were pushing a stroller. They were so far away, I honestly didn’t think they would bother us, but I was wrong (again!) The standard poodle started sprinting straight at us. This is incredibly rude behaviour, and yelling “he’s friendly” is not acceptable, by the way. You’re too far away to do ANYTHING about your dog, and my dog could be fearful, aggressive, just got home from surgery, etc. 

Now, these people didn’t even yell “he’s friendly” and they certainly didn’t even TRY to recall him. I turned to my husband and simply said “you’ve got her?” He had her favourite ball, so he was pretty sure he could keep her attention on him. 

I turned my back on them and walked confidently toward the sprinting poodle, pointed, and yelled, “GO!” 

The poodle did go. I had a moment of “YAY! This is really working!” Just a moment. 

Bye, Mr. Poodle! (Photo: black standard poodle running)

My partner didn’t have a chance to leash up Magic. Like most people, he was kind of standing there, aghast that this poodle was gunning for us in the first place. He was also amazed (like I was) that me pointing and directing it to get lost actually worked. So he wasn’t looking at Magic anymore or telling her what to do. 

As I happily watched the poodle turn and run away, all of a sudden, Magic sprinted after it. I didn’t need back-up, but I certainly got it. 

Now, it’s the other people getting a taste of their own medicine. They are picking up the Boston Terrier and watching in horror at the Rottweiler coming after their poodle. Not only do they have a stroller with them, the woman has an infant in a sling. 

They don’t know what I know. 

That’s not just any Rottweiler. 

Magic is a wonderful canine citizen who wouldn’t hurt a fly. And Magic has incredible recall.

One “leave it” and “come” and Magic turned and ran back to me before ever reaching the family, or catching up with the poodle.

They were extremely lucky their dog didn’t stir up the wrong hornet’s nest, because there’s a lot of unbalanced dogs out there with zero recall who would have made their morning very, very ugly. 

After that incident, I was on the hunt for information. I hadn’t accounted for the variable of walking with friends who are nervous around off-leash dogs. I hadn’t accounted for walking with other people, period. 

I found a great solution from a colleague in the States. Here’s what they advise: Have a discussion with the people you will be walking with before you head out for the walk. Who will stay calm and confident and take control of your pack? This person can ask for down-stays and calmness. Which one of you will step up and tell the off-leash dog(s) to “Go!” Bonus points for carrying an extra leash and simply returning the dog to their owner. 

Having a conversation beforehand is a complete game-changer. 

When you and the person you’re walking with have a strategy in place, you’re far more likely to succeed, because now, you’re a functioning pack. You’ve communicated. You have a solid relationship as a group. You can handle anything. 

This conversation also helps ease your nervous friend’s mind, because now there’s a plan. Just like an athlete, when you’ve mentally prepared for what game-time is going to look like, you’re much better able to perform well, keep a level head, and achieve your goal. 

I hope this helps you as much as it helped me. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders! Happy training! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Patrick Hendry @worldsbetweenlines (Two large off-leash dogs barrelling toward the camera lens,)Honest Paws @honestpaws (a dog doing a down-stay on his bed for a treat,) Daria Nepriakhina @epicantus (woman staring down at her cellphone,) Kieran Wood @kieran_wood (black standard poodle running,)

Off-Leash Dogs Approaching my On-Leash Dog: HELP!

How most dog owners feel when an off-leash dog approaches them while walking their own dog on a leash (Photo: wolf laying down showing her teeth)

Welcome to Week 3 of “What to do when off-leash dogs approach me and my on-leash dog.” Phew! That’s an appropriate mouthful for such a vast topic. 

Be sure to read through all three blog posts in order, so that you can begin to understand all of the important components for how to deal with this sticky situation. 

Here are the links: 

Week 1: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/prevention-is-the-best-medicine-for-encounters-with-off-leash-dogs

Week 2: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/who-is-protecting-whom

Now that you’ve read the first two blog posts, you’re ready to go through your checklist: 

You’ve built a solid relationship with your dog. Check.

Your dog knows how to follow you on leash. Check. 

Your dog listens to your commands both inside and outside the home. Check. 

You’ve studied dog body language. Check. 

You’re practicing being aware of your surroundings while on walks to AVOID confrontations from even happening. Check. 

You’re no longer hitting the panic button when you see an off-leash dog. Check. 

You’re working hard in areas where there are no off-leash dogs because you know your own dog needs to be rehabilitated first, before being expected to handle confrontation from an off-leash dog. Check. 

But sometimes, life happens. 

Sometimes life happens (Photo: Malinois running through the grass)

You’re walking on a narrow trail with your non-reactive dog, who heels on leash, listens well, and is good with other dogs when an off-leash dog pops out of the woods right beside you. Now what? 

You stay calm. You assess the other dog’s body language as “excited.” Excited is not “happy,” by the way. Excited dogs can start fights by rushing into another dog’s intimate space. Face-to-face greetings with excited dogs can cause fights as well, especially when one or both dogs is on a tense leash. 

While staying calm, you’re going to step in front of your dog with confidence and you’re going to point and say “GO!” By stepping toward the off-leash dog and giving eye contact, you are now forcing the excited dog to make a choice. Most often, the dog will choose not to approach you. Dogs want to avoid conflict wherever possible. It’s in their DNA. Wolves and feral dogs don’t want to get into unnecessary fights, because those can lead to life-threatening injuries. 

If you have a bit more time, you can put your own dog into a down-stay. I like to add a “head down” command to this as well, so that my own dog is in a relaxed body position. When the body is in a relaxed position, the mind will follow. 

In order for this to work, you need to practice down-stays frequently with your dog around distractions. Build up slowly. For example, teach the down-stay in your kitchen. Then practice down-stays in your hallway, on your balcony, in your car, and in your backyard. Once your dog’s down-stay is solid, add distractions. Try down-stays while out on your walks. Try down-stays OUTSIDE your neighbourhood dog park (far away at first, and then try moving closer.) If your dog can’t listen to you beside off-leash dogs in a dog park running and playing, then how will she be able to listen to you around random off-leash dogs while you’re out hiking? 

Practice like you play. Yes, everything I learned about life I learned from my soccer coaches. It applies here. If you don’t practice keeping yourself calm under pressure and your dog calm around pressure, then game day (random off-leash dogs) will continue to be…unpredictable with varying results — sometimes your dog will get bit, sometimes you will, sometimes the other dog will. But you CAN work toward a better life with your dog and improve game day anytime you wish. Today is a new day! 

Practice like you play (Photo: Border Collie laying down in a forest)

By showing your dog that you will advocate for his space, you are showing him “you have his back.” This allows your relationship with your own dog to flourish. This builds trust. 

Some people feel more empowered carrying compressed air, a tennis racquet, or a walking stick. I shuddered the first time I read that a walking stick is a good way to keep off-leash dogs at bay. I don’t want to hit a dog with a stick. That said, if an aggressive dog is about to attack you or your dog, do you really want to: 

-try to separate a dog fight by yourself and get bitten and spend the day in the emergency room (specially during a pandemic)? 

-have your dog ripped open and spend the day at the veterinarian’s clinic?

-allow your dog to DIE at the hands of this aggressive dog?   

-or end up in a combination of #1 and #2…where you’re in the ER and your dog is at the vet in surgery? 

Personally, I use myself (stepping in front of my dog and pointing and telling the other dog “GO!” I do not carry any tools, though I have been considering the compressed air lately (there are way more untrained off-leash dogs lately and I know many clients have had their own dogs attacked while walking on trails and in their own neighbourhoods.) 

If I have time (i.e. the dogs are approaching from a distance, and I am in the middle of an open field) I have Magic in a down-stay with “head down.” I then step up, point, and give the “GO!” command to the other dog. 

To this day, the best tool in my toolbox has been being aware of my environment at all times. I have avoided many off-leash dogs by simply being aware of them well ahead of time and creating distance between them and my pack. 

A recent example of that: 

Magic and I were walking on a residential street. As we approached a house where there is often a dog tied out, I saw that she was not tied up. She began to mix it up with an on-leash Border Collie. The woman walking the Border Collie was suddenly thrust into a situation where her dog was on a tense leash and very stressed out. You could see that (understandably) the woman was also very stressed out. The other dog’s owners were nowhere to be seen. 

There were still parked cars impeding Magic’s ability from seeing this brewing. I stayed calm and did a 180 degree turn, which we practice all the time, and we left. Had we continued, the off-leash excited dog would certainly have bounded over to us, crossing an intersection to do so. I kept that dog safe, and my own. Win-win. 

A lot of people get really bent out of shape when they have to change their walking route. Here’s something that helps me choose joy over feeling annoyed. 

Remember: It’s not about you. It never has been and it never will be. I had a choice: be annoyed that I had to change my walking route that day, or keep my dog safe. I will choose the second one every single time. Who cares where we walk, what route we take? My priorities when I am out with my dog are to have fun, enjoy the outdoors, to feel relaxed, to work on training skills, to build our relationship, to fulfill Magic’s canine needs (to follow, to exercise physically and mentally, to explore the environment with her nose,) and above all else, to keep my girl safe. 

Hopefully you will find these strategies helpful for you and your dog. I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to provide you with all of the information I’ve gathered over my years of research, so that you can find what works best for you.  

Next week, I’ll cover a couple of examples that were trickier to navigate, the strategies that helped in the moment, and how those experiences better prepared me for the future. 

Thanks for reading! 

Have you encountered off-leash dogs while walking your own dog on-leash? Please share your story with us, either in the comments or reach out in an email. We would love to hear from you! 

Happy training!

Alyssa 

Photos by: Jessy Hoffmann @jessreporter (wolf laying down showing her teeth,) Upsplash image (Malinois running through the grass,) Tadeusz Lakota @tadekl (Border Collie laying down in a forest,)

Who is Protecting Whom?

Even if your dog is trained in bite-work or other protection sports, it’s not his job to keep other dogs away from you while you’re out and about in public. That’s your job. (Photo: A mastiff who is likely working on bite-work with a man and a woman)

This week, we’re continuing on our journey to learn more about what to do when walking our own dog on a leash and we come across off-leash dogs. 

As you know from reading last week’s post, dog ownership is a massive responsibility and there’s a LOT we need to learn as responsible dog owners. 

We need to learn how to see the world from our dog’s point of view, to better fulfill their needs. We need to understand dog body language, so we can assess situations and stay calm while doing so. We need to learn to provide leadership to our dogs, so they can trust that WE are capable of being charge when perceived threats (like off-leash dogs) are heading our way. 

The more information you have, the better prepared you’ll be. The stronger your relationship with your OWN dog, the better prepared you’ll be. 

If your dog is currently reacting to other on-leash dogs by: 

-standing in front of you

-barking and growling

-lunging on leash

-yanking you off your feet

then he currently sees it as his job to protect you. This will certainly cause problems if an off-leash dog heads toward you. 

Are you pulling back on the leash? This is sending your dog a clear signal that the other dog is a threat. All dogs have what is called opposition reflex — when someone pulls back on their leash, they automatically pull forward. This is put to good use with police canines who are taught to bite the person wearing the super padded “bad guy suit.” The police hold the dog’s harness, which stimulates that opposition reflex, allowing their working dog to get fired up at the “bad guy” before letting go. 

See how it works? 

The way most people open their front door. Just sayin’. (Photo: Person wearing army fatigues holding the collar of a German Shepherd, creating opposition reflex)

Are you accidentally sending your dog the wrong message? Are you pulling him back, telling him to get fired up at dogs, bikes, and strangers? 

Do you also get nervous when you see dogs in the neighbourhood and think: “Here we go again,”? 

Your dog will pick up on your nervous energy and act accordingly to keep the other dogs away from you. We don’t want that. It’s no fun to feel nervous all the time, and it’s super stressful for your dog to live on edge like that too. 

So, if your dog shouldn’t be in front of you pulling on the leash, where should he be? 

Great question. 

In our popular culture, we think it’s amazing when our dogs step up in front of us and protect us. In fact, a growing number of my clients have selected dogs based on wanting to feel protected. The issue is that a dog who is not bred and trained to be a protection dog isn’t happy doing this job. Oftentimes, the dogs I work with are anxious (whine almost all of the time) and are much more confident and happy when they learn that their humans are in charge (inside and outside of the home, including on walks.) 

When we invite a dog to live in our home and in the human world, it is our job to show them how to feel safe and protected. It’s our job to show them that garbage trucks are not scary, bicycles are not out to get them, and that other dogs in the neighbourhood are not threats to us. 

So, where should your dog be when there’s a perceived threat?  

Hint: The opposite of this…(Photo: A dog walks in front of her owner on a tense leash)

Behind you. 

Like this while you’re walking…(Photo: A dog heeling beside his owner, looking up at his owner while moving forward.)

Getting closer…but this picture has too much leash tension. (A person stands in the snow with their dog behind their knees. The dog is wearing a halti and there is tension on the leash.)

More like this. (Photo: a person wearing a backpack standing on a tree stump looking off into the mist. There is a dog standing behind them in a heel position. The dog is looking up to them for direction.)

It’s your job as pack leader to deal with perceived threats. Perceived threats to one dog may be strangers reaching into their personal space to pet them. To another dog, a perceived threat is the delivery person who walks onto what your dog perceives as THEIR territory. To another dog, it’s a strange object, like construction equipment, a bag of yard waste, or Christmas decorations that move and make noise. Your job is to be in front of your dog to advocate for his space and to keep danger away. 

My first opportunity to learn this lesson was a couple of decades ago. I had not yet heard of dog psychology. I was an accidental leader for my first rescue dog, because I just did what felt natural. I exercised him every day and I provided structure and boundaries and rules. Looking back, there were a lot of things I could have done better, had I known dog psychology, but Brooklyn and I did pretty well. Keep in mind, that when I owned Brooklyn, I lived, breathed, and sometimes even slept with dogs while working as a technician at the University of Guelph. I not only worked with dogs every day, I walked them in my spare time (during my lunch breaks.) Despite being surrounded by dogs 24-7, there were still LOTS of things I needed to learn. 

The first time Brooklyn stepped behind me when faced with an aggressive dog, I thought it was because he was afraid of her. I also wrongly thought: “Wow. He doesn’t want to protect me. What have I done wrong? He must not love me at all.”

I now know what it means when a dog steps behind you in the face of danger. 

What I didn’t realize back then was that I had earned Brooklyn’s TRUST and his RESPECT. When you have trust, respect, AND love, you have a balanced pack. You have harmony. And you’re actually way safer out in public, because the human is in the driver’s seat. Humans make wayyyyy better decisions than dogs. Dogs make quick, instinctual decisions to defend themselves. Hopefully after reading this, you’ll realize it’s your job to defend THEM, not the other way around. 

Brooklyn and I lived in a big house divided into five apartments. One of the apartments was home to a vet student and her newly adopted two-year-old pitbull. This beautiful, grey pit was the leader of her human. She pulled her everywhere she wanted to go and she was walked on a flexi-leash that could snap at any time. This “pull my human everywhere I want” relationship combined with leash tension created leash frustration, reactivity, and eventually aggression.

Brooklyn and I came across them on neutral territory. We were strolling down the sidewalk, and they were in a small playground. They had higher ground and were partially blocked by the play structure, so we didn’t notice them right away. The pit took one look at us and went straight into the red zone. She shot straight for us (faster than anyone could have said a prayer to the God of flexi-leashes,) barking and snarling. 

Brooklyn stepped behind my legs. I held my breath (because I didn’t have the knowledge I have now - breathe, friends, breathe!) 

The flexi-leash held, jerking the poor dog backward, and unfortunately teaching her nothing except how to be more frustrated on the leash. She stood on her hind legs snarling, growling, and barking while her owner held on for dear life. 

I’m grateful that Brooklyn believed I could handle that threat while holding nothing but a Kong-on-a-rope. He believed in me long before I believed in myself. 

Brooklyn wasn’t a chicken. He wasn’t throwing me under the bus. And there was nothing “wrong” with our relationship. Brooklyn was letting me do what I did naturally for him every day: lead. 

Brooklyn living his best life (Photo: author’s first rescue dog, Brooklyn, leaps off a dock after a ball)

A few tips so that you can lead your dog, so they can trust you in all of life’s tough situations: 

-provide exercise every day (not as much as you feel like giving them, but the amount they actually need to be mentally and physically fulfilled every day)

-teach them a structured walk (from your dog’s point of view, if you are walking in the back, you are the follower. They need a leader.) 

-wait for natural eye contact before going through doorways, up a set of stairs, and before giving any food

-build a strong foundation in the home, before falling into the “too much freedom too fast” trap 

-acknowledge the effect your own energy has on your dog

-learn everything you possibly can about the way your dog sees the world (dog psychology) 

If your dog isn’t trained as a personal protection dog (by a professional who knows what they are doing,) then it is not your dog’s job to protect you and your family. 

Will they step up in the middle of the night to an intruder? Of course they will. But should they have to feel as though they need to defend you from oncoming dogs on the street: no. 

You need to: 

-protect

-direct

-love 

Did this week stray wildly off-topic? The pitbull wasn’t off-leash, you say? 

Flexi-leads snap all the time. Leashes fly out of people’s hands all the time. A dog can go from on-leash to off-leash in an instant. There was a post in our local online dog forum this week about a dog slipping out of his collar and attacking an on-leash dog. The dog who was attacked required veterinary care. Sidebar: The dog who attacked the other dog was a Golden Retriever. I feel the need to mention this as people so often believe that certain breeds are aggressive and others are not. No dog is born aggressive. Any dog can become aggressive. Always look at the human behind the dog. 

The lessons for this week:

-It is your job to provide protection to your dog, not the other way around. 

-You should stand in front of your dog to let them know you’re in charge (and if they already know you are their leader, they will step behind you.) 

Next week: How to let an off-leash dog know they shouldn’t bother approaching you. 

Have a safe and happy weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Upsplash (A mastiff who is likely working on bite-work with a man and a woman), Altino Dantas @altinodantas (Person wearing army fatigues holding the collar of a German Shepherd, creating opposition reflex.) Upsplash (A dog walks in front of her owner on a tense leash,) Upsplash (Photo: A dog heeling beside his owner, looking up at his owner while moving forward,) Upsplash (a person wearing a backpack standing on a tree stump looking off into the mist. There is a dog standing behind them in a heel position. The dog is looking up to them for direction.) Alyssa Foulkes ( author’s first rescue dog, Brooklyn, leaps off a dock after a ball.)

Prevention is the Best Medicine for Encounters With Off-Leash Dogs

If you can read dog body language, you’ll know that this dog is feeling unsure (Photo: brown, terrier-mix lifts a front paw)

You’re walking down the sidewalk with your (on-leash) reactive rescue dog. There’s an off-leash dog up ahead. What do you do? 

Just reading that may have caused your heart to leap into your throat. For many dog owners, it’s one of their biggest fears (right after: afraid my dog will bite someone and I’ll have to put her to sleep.) 

Hop on any dog forum and you’ll see that there’s more and more people encountering off-leash dogs while walking their own dog on-leash. There’s pictures of the aftermath (I’ll spare you the bloody details) and stories about fights. 

This is a much broader topic than I ever imagined when I sat down to summarize “what to do when you come across an off-leash dog while walking your dog on-leash.” It’s so vast, that I’m actually going to break it down over several weeks. 

So, where to begin…

Straight from “The Sound of Music,” we’re going to “start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start.”

Now that you have a happy tune in your head, let’s begin with prevention. 

A dog who doesn’t listen to you inside your own home, will not listen to you outside the home (Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a bed,)

Prevention begins with your relationship with your dog in the home paired with your understanding of dog body language and dog psychology. Remember: if your own dog doesn’t listen to you inside your own home, it will be extremely difficult for her to listen to your direction when you’re faced with a perceived threat (like an off-leash dog coming toward you.) 

Prevention also begins with you. Being calm requires daily practice. Being a leader to your dog, requires daily practice. There are no shortcuts to a relationship built on trust, respect, and love. If you don’t have all three components, you’re going to struggle when you see an off-leash dog. 

As a dog owner, you must learn how to read dog body language. Your dog is fluent in human body language, so it’s the least you can to to understand hers. Your dog’s body language is going to tell you the intent of the off-leash dog, but don’t rely on that alone. Learn to read the body language of other breeds of dog. Some have hidden eyes, some have floppy ears, some have no tail. It’s a bigger job than you think, but when armed with how to read dog body language, you’ll figure out pretty quickly whether an off-leash dog means harm, or is simply curious. 

Becoming fluent in dog body language is the least we can do for our dogs who give us so much (Photo: Off-leash beagle with erect tail)

The first tip I can give you when you come across an off-leash dog while walking your own dog on-leash, is that you need to remain calm and assess the situation. A lot of people immediately assume the worst: this dog is gonna kill us! That thought causes panic to ripple through you, down the leash, and tells your dog there’s a threat. Most of time, that off-leash dog is simply lost. Most of the time, that dog was bored being left alone in its yard all day, and it escaped to explore the world. 

Not all dogs you come across who are off-leash want to cause harm. 

Not all off-leash dogs mean any harm (Photo: A Malamute looking like a menacing wolf)

Over the years, I’ve helped lots of off-leash, wandering pups find their way back home while out with my own dog. If I’m close enough to home, I typically return my dog to safety first, and then head back to the off-leash dog to see if I can find its home/owner. Other times, the dog has simply followed me (and my dog) home. At that time, I put my own dog inside (calmly,) and hang out with the new friend outside while I locate her owners. 

If you own a reactive dog, I’ve got you. I know what you’re thinking when I say: Not all dogs you come across who are off-leash want to cause harm. 

You’re thinking: It doesn’t matter what kind of dog is coming at me and my reactive dog, MY DOG ATTACKS EVERY DOG, no questions asked. 

The answer to this isn’t simple, because nothing about dog behaviour is simple and there are no quick fixes.

In some cases, teaching your dog to love wearing a basket muzzle can make you, the owner, feel safe because at least you know that your dog can’t cause any damage. Now you can feel more confident on your walks and you’ve at least removed ONE variable from the equation. 

You can be proactive if you have a reactive dog and work to rehabilitate them slowly in areas where there are sure to be no off-leash dogs. 

Where is this magical place? The first place is inside your home. Teach your dog how to follow you on-leash. Pulling you on-leash is a HUGE part of the reactivity you’re experiencing. The second dog-free place is your own backyard. The third place: empty parking lots. Stop setting your dog up for failure by taking her to places where you always see off-leash dogs (even if it’s not designated as off-leash, there’s always that one: “Don’t worry, she’s friendly” person. 

If you have a dog who you KNOW will not react well to off-leash dogs approaching, work to rehabilitate them in areas with no dogs. (Photo: a Frenchie in a parking lot wearing…a black and gold jacket and a tag that reads: L’il Man)

Next week, we’ll talk more about prevention, but in the meantime, be sure to read this blogpost: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/timing

This post talks about scanning your environment and being aware of your surroundings as you’re out and about. Everything is connected, friends. Dog leadership is an enormous and beautiful mosaic made up of hundreds of little things that MATTER. Your relationship with your dog matters. Dogs crave balanced leadership. You CAN be the balanced leader that they need. When you rise to the occasion of being a calm and balanced leader for your dog, you will be AMAZED at how WONDERFUL you feel in your day-to-day life. 

The ripple effect of adding more calmness and balance to your life is extraordinary. 

Have an awesome weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum (brown, terrier-mix lifts a front paw,) Upsplash Image (Weimaraner puppy gnawing on the corner of a bed,) Adnan Puzić @adnanpuzic (Off-leash beagle with erect tail,) Upsplash Image (A Malamute looking like a menacing wolf), Karsten Winegeart @karsten116 (a Frenchie in a parking lot/loading dock wearing…a black and gold jacket and a tag that reads: L’il Man.)

Sh*t You Won’t Learn at Puppy School

In-home puppy sessions help YOU and YOUR puppy navigate YOUR unique in-home situation (Photo: two guinea pigs munching on grated carrots)

Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a lot of calls from puppy owners who aren’t getting the results they want from puppy classes. 

“All we learned was sit, stay, and shake a paw. Literally. How do I get him to stop biting me?” 

“They showed me how to hold her collar tightly when she’s misbehaving. It riles her up and makes her growl at me. I’m afraid she’ll bite me…and my kids!” 

“I learned how to hold the leash up high in front of my face until she sits and calms down. My wife’s arms aren’t long enough to do it, so our puppy can reach and bite her during this process.” 

I’m not here to bash puppy school, but I will tell you this: you won’t learn everything you need to know, and sometimes you’ll learn things that won’t work for your dog. 

The collar hold and the “holding the leash up high (essentially choking them out) until they sit: that was shown to a family with a pitbull puppy. I would never recommend this technique to anyone, let alone if you own a bully breed. 

This technique creates conflict and adds constant pressure.

There was NO MENTION to this family of what energy THEY were bringing to that conflict-causing collar grab. They were extremely frustrated by the time they went to begin the “technique.” 

Are you accidentally building a NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION to touching your puppy’s collar? How are you going to put their leash on after off-leash play? (Photo: white pitbull mix wearing a red collar sits in a field off-leash)

Dogs will not listen to you if you are tense and frustrated. They will not listen to you if you are worried whether or not you’re doing the technique correctly while you’re in the middle doing it. 

How you are feeling 100% matters. When commanding a dog and asking him to follow your direction, you must be calm and confident. Dogs are designed to follow calm and confident leadership. It’s in their DNA. You will NEVER see a pack of feral dogs with a canine leader who is nervous, unsure, scared, tense, aggressive, unfair, or frustrated. Dogs follow BALANCED LEADERS. When we invite dogs to live with us in the human world, we take on the leadership role, OR the dog takes on the leadership role. It has to be filled. You’re a pack now. Are you the leader or are you the follower? 

Your children can learn to lead too! We LOVE teaching children to lead. It’s way more fun than being used as a chew toy! (Photo: Toddler leading a terrier on a walk)

Let’s talk about the family who learned sit, stay, and shake a paw. When we met in person, they told me, “she actually doesn’t even KNOW stay, so maybe you could show us that too.” 

This puppy is a shy, back of the pack pup. How do I know this? She shows me with her submissive peeing. Another thing they didn’t learn about in puppy school. 

First: Not all puppies go through submissive peeing. Some puppies lack confidence and are a little shy. There’s nothing wrong with this, you simply need to learn how to build confidence in your shy puppy.

Second: Talking in a high-pitched voice, moving towards your puppy too quickly, making eye contact, leaning over your puppy, reaching toward your puppy when she’s showing apprehension about your approach, and allowing strangers to pet your puppy before she is ready are all causing this submissive peeing to continue. 

Third: Most puppies will grow out of this phase, but you can speed this up by coaching your family, houseguests, and strangers on the street how to greet your puppy properly. Have them practice: no touch, no talk, no eye contact until your puppy is CALM. They should get low and allow your puppy to come to them and allow her to sniff. Just because your puppy is brave enough to move into someone's personal space, does not mean she is ready to be petted. 

Fourth: Don’t get annoyed at your puppy and the pee mess. She’s not doing it on purpose. Imagine how it must feel to feel so intimidated, shy, or fearful when strangers approach that you are scared enough to pee. Advocate on her behalf (this means educate people not to barge into her space, reaching to pet her, and talking excitedly.) If you need help speaking up, believe me, I fall into the “way too nice” category myself, try this: 

“Sorry, you can’t pet her right now. She’s in training. Thanks for asking though.” It worked for me. 

People want to pet your puppy no matter what bad behaviour they are doing. It’s okay to say NO. If you NEVER ALLOW anyone to pet your puppy while she’s putting her feet on them, you will NEVER have to correct it later with a trainer when she’s older and it’s no longer “cute.” (Photo: doodle puppy lunging excitedly toward the camera lens with her two front feet off the ground)

How to find a puppy school whose techniques will work for you and your puppy: 

1. Call and interview them on the phone. Do they call you back in a timely fashion? Are they happy to answer all of your questions?

2. Ask to go and watch their sessions BEFORE YOU ADOPT YOUR PUPPY. If they say no, and believe me, some in this area will: HUGE RED FLAG.

3. Read all of the Google Reviews

4. Ask everyone you know who has been to puppy school what they liked and what they did not like about the classes.

5. Trust your gut.

One of my clients recently reached out to puppy schools in our area. She reported that the man on the phone was rude, made her feel like she was an idiot, and basically told her that she was ruining her puppy by not having him in school yet. Needless to say, she’s not going to give that company her business. 

Take your time, shop around, and find the right fit for you and your puppy to learn and grow as a team. 

Remember: Dog training is a lifestyle. You must take the things you learn in puppy school and practice them every day at home. You must also research and read on your own and fill the gaps (if any) that the puppy school doesn’t teach you. 

Don’t focus on tricks. 

I’ve had two clients who have had dogs who can do very lovely “leave it” tricks…and their puppies were both food aggressive. 

Focus on RELATIONSHIP over tricks in the beginning. For example, teach your puppy not to pull on the leash and become your leader; teach them not to bite the leash; teach them a rock-solid recall. Teach them how to feel safe and happy when you are not at home (crate training) to prevent separation anxiety. Teach them what they are allowed to chew and what they are not allowed to chew in your home. Show them that your children are not chew toys. Teach them to be calm around food. All of these little things matter in your overall relationship. 

If you’re struggling with crate training, puppy chewing, counter surfing, sock-stealing, nipping/biting, and leash pulling, in-home puppy training will help. 

Is in-home puppy training the right option for you? Schedule your free call here: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/take-action

Remember: A dog who doesn’t listen to you inside your home will not listen to you outside the home. 

Practice. Take you time. Build a strong foundation. Learn everything you can about dog psychology. Be patient with yourself. 

And have fun! Lots and lots of fun! 

A balanced, calm puppy can learn to get along with your other pets. Schedule a free call and find out if we’re the right fit to help you improve your pet’s lives. (Photo: cat and dog snuggling on the grass)

What’s up with the guinea pigs? They’re just some of the other friends whose lives are improved with in-home training. Your puppy CAN learn to be calm around your other pets (and livestock.) We’ve helped guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, cows, alpacas, sheep, and lots and lots of cats to live in harmony with dogs. 

Have an AMAZING weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa  

Photos by: Bonnie Kittle @bonniekdesign (two guinea pigs munching on grated carrots,) Overture Creations

@overture_creations (white pitbull mix wearing a red collar sits in a field off-leash,) Upsplash image (Toddler leading a terrier on a walk,) Upsplash image (doodle puppy lunging excitedly toward the camera lens with her two front feet off the ground), Krista Mangulsone

@krista (cat and dog snuggling on the grass.)

TIMING

Timing and being aware of your surroundings are great tools to prevent having a really bad day. (Photo: chihuahua nestled in the crook of a man’s arm. The man is wearing a wristwatch. See what I did there?)

You’re hanging out with your dog off-leash. Everything seems to be going well. You’re playing a bit of fetch. Your dog is returning to you as he (almost) always does and you’re capturing a picture of him for Instagram. 

You throw the ball, your dog races after it…and in the blink of an eye, he’s 

crossing a street to visit a dog on a leash who you didn’t see coming. Bad news: that dog is reactive on the leash. You try to call your dog, but it’s too late. There’s no way he’ll come back now. The owner is screaming at you, putting tension on her leash, and now there’s a dog fight. 

Your dog may not find other dogs distracting. Perhaps it’s people on bikes? Joggers? Squirrels? Cats?

We’ve talked about recall a lot, but we haven’t talked about timing and it’s REALLY IMPORTANT. 

There’s no worse feeling than seeing your dog running full tilt toward something that could hurt him (Photo: a bull terrier runs across a field)

The leader of any pack of dogs is ALWAYS scanning the environment for threats.

When you play fetch with your dog, you’re tapping into your dog’s natural instinct to chase prey. The two of you are a pack, and hopefully, YOU are the leader of your pack. This makes it YOUR job to scan 360 degrees and be aware of things that could possibly set your dog up for a negative experience (runs headfirst into another dog who is aggressive and gets into a fight), a deadly experience (bites a child and needs to be put to sleep; runs in front of a car; or eats something that kills him,) or sets the general public up for a negative experience (jumps on a jogger who is TERRIFIED of dogs.)   

Her thumb’s up day turns into a thumb’s down day if your dog bites her (Photo: woman jogging giving a thumb’s up)

BEFORE you throw the ball, you should be aware of your surroundings. If there’s a kid on a bike coming and your dog chases bikes, recall your dog (leash them if you have to) and wait until the child goes by before throwing the ball again. 

Clients always ask me: “How do I scan around and not get super stressed out. I feel like I’m on guard/on edge all the time.” 

I answer: “You’re scanning the area to keep your dog safe. There’s nothing to be afraid or panicked about. Just look around calmly. Don’t overthink it.”

Look. Owning a dog is a HUGE responsibility. It’s your job to teach your dog how to overcome all of his behavioural issues BEFORE unclipping the leash in a public place. If you don’t know how to rehabilitate your dog’s behavioural issues (fear of cars, aggressive to dogs and people, chases ATVs/farm equipment) find a trainer who can help you. 

If you know your dog doesn’t have perfect recall, you need to teach it to them for their own safety. Not to mention the safety of the public. How AWFUL do you feel when your dog knocks a little kid off his bike? Scares a jogger by jumping up on them? Body checks your mother or grandmother and she breaks her hip? You don’t need that kind of stress in your life, so be aware of your surroundings. 

There are some dogs who may arrive to the park while you’re there playing fetch with your dog who your dog doesn’t get along with. TIMING! Don’t risk a dog fight, so that you can play five more minutes of fetch. Clip on the leash and go BEFORE this off-leash dog sprints up into your dog’s face after you’ve already leashed up. Anticipate. You’re a Dog Leader now. Make quick decisions that benefit your dog and your own mental health. Advocate for your dog’s space. 

When you leave the park, don’t spend time being annoyed that you missed out on five minutes of fetch. There’s plenty of other things to work on on the leash to tire your dog out MENTALLY. This is your opportunity to teach your dog to walk nicely on the leash (aren’t you tired of joint pain?) 

Aren’t you tired of joint pain? (Photo: Woman being pulled/dragged forward by a Mastiff on a leash)

Remember: I’m not asking you to go be that one meerkat at the zoo who is on patrol (so adorable!) I’m suggesting that when you’re more aware of your surroundings, you can keep your pack safe and time your recall BEFORE your dog is too distracted to obey.

I’m not asking you to be a meerkat, but if you were, we’d be friends. (Photo: meerkat standing on a rock)

Every day won’t be perfect, but most days are pretty awesome. 

Celebrate those great moments with your dog. 

Have an awesome weekend, Dog Leaders! 

Alyssa 

Photos by: Angelina Litvin @linalitvina (chihuahua nestled in the crook of a man’s arm. The man is wearing a wristwatch. See what I did there?), UpSplash image (a bull terrier runs across a field), andrew dinh

@andrewdinh (woman jogging giving a thumb’s up,) Upsplash image (Woman being pulled by a Mastiff on a leash), Tim L. Productions @timlontano (meerkat standing on a rock.)

PUPPY BITING BLUES

Is your puppy using you as a chew toy? (Photo: black and tan puppy chewing a blade of grass with a fantastic snarl on his face)

Puppy teeth are sharp. 

Puppies bite fingers, arms, noses, and feet. And it HURTS! 

One of the biggest mistakes I see new puppy owners making is keeping their puppy awake for two or three hours at a time. It’s too long. Puppies need a lot of sleep and they get extra mouthy when they are tired. You may notice that you’ve become a chew toy (OUCH!) or that your puppy is chewing up mulch, sticks, and leaves like they’ll never have the chance again. These are signs that your puppy needs a nap. 

If you aren’t training them, playing with them, or actively engaging with them, they should be sleeping in their crate. 

At 16 weeks of age, Braxton had never calmed down or napped in his crate - he SCREAMED! He was on medication that wasn’t helping. I’m so happy his owner found me :) (Photo: Braxton, a brindle bulldog puppy, asleep in his crate for the first time)

Another big mistake new puppy owners make is hanging out on the couch with their puppy all morning long. This teaches your puppy that they should ALWAYS be touching you. This is how to CREATE separation anxiety. Believe me, you don’t want it. And your puppy certainly doesn’t want to feel that stress either. Prevent it now, while you have the chance. Use your crate for short, positive, fun sessions. Teach your puppy that going in there for naps is no big deal, and that if you leave, you’ll always come back. 

Thank me six months from now when you’re out doing groceries and you’re NOT worried about your puppy. She’s home in her crate napping, and you’re out and about getting things done. 

I get calls all the time about puppies who are “coming at me” and “biting nonstop.” These people have puncture wounds all over their hands, bite marks on their feet, and bruises on their arms and legs. 

Some of them share with me: “I’m actually SCARED of my puppy.” 

Most of them have tried redirecting with toys, but that is only one tool you should have in your toolbox. 

Redirecting with toys only takes you so far (Photo: black and white terrier puppy biting a yellow toy pig)

During our in-home puppy sessions, we will teach you many strategies to prevent you from becoming a chew toy. 

Schedule your free call today and find out if we’re the right fit for each other. 

Until then, get up and get moving. Engage with your puppy. Provide them with learning opportunities (teach them to LOVE their crate, how to be CALM around food, how to walk nicely on a leash.)

Provide DIRECTION. By leading the way and not sitting back, you’ll be in control of what activity is happening next. When your puppy dictates YOUR movements, you’ll end up with a demand-barker who controls you with their mouth. As your puppy grows into a dog, barks get louder and teeth get bigger. Decide who you want to live with: a well-behaved dog who is a joy to be around, or a holy terror who herds your children, steals food off your counter, and barks at everyone who walks by your house. The decision is yours to make. 

Living with dogs should be a joy. 

Living with dogs should be a joy (Photo: Magic, the author’s Rottweiler swims toward shore holding her favourite ball. She is wearing a red life jacket.)

Happy training! 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa 

Photos by: Daniel Lincoln @danny_lincoln (black and tan puppy chewing a blade of grass with a fantastic snarl on his face,) Alyssa Foulkes (Braxton, a brindle bulldog puppy, asleep in his crate for the first time,) Justin Veenema @justinveenema (black and white terrier puppy biting a yellow toy pig,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic, the author’s Rottweiler swims toward shore holding her favourite ball. She is wearing a red life jacket.)

How Are You?

(Photo: person sitting at the end of a dock, surrounded by water, mountains, and a blue sky)

How are you? 

How are you, really? 

This is SO IMPORTANT and often never discussed in the dog training world. 

YOU MATTER. 

How you are feeling matters.  

I hope you’re feeling well. If you’re not, let’s acknowledge that together right now. 

How are you feeling in THIS moment? 

Nervous? Tense? Frustrated? Fed up? Sad? Worried? 

What do you do to overcome your stress? (Photo: woman wearing a black tank top and a surgical mask holds her head, as though it aches)

It’s okay to feel these things. It’s important to acknowledge HOW we are feeling and then to try to take a small step toward feeling better. 

Move a pebble, not a mountain. Bit by bit, you’ll get there.

I find this statement helps my clients move forward on their path to wellness

“Right now, I’m feeling _____. I would like to feel more calm.” 

Now, what makes YOU feel calm? Is it sitting in a quiet room and taking ten deep breaths (the kind where your belly and your chest both move)? Is it petting your cat? Is it playing an instrument? Is it taking a walk? Looking at your garden? 

Being in nature brings calmness to many people. What brings you calmness? (Photo: sunrise over the mountains)

Take some time to learn about yourself.

Your emotional well-being is crucial to your relationship with your dog. 

Read. 

That.

Twice. 

Your dog is your mirror. They reflect the energy that you emit. 

You’ve seen this in action. Your dog gets SUPER excited when your family comes over (because you’re super excited to see your family.) Sometimes, your well-behaved dog also forgets his manners at this moment and jumps up. That’s excitement. And before your family arrived, everyone was calmly hanging out in the living room. 

Maybe you’ve noticed this: You’re hanging out in your kitchen re-telling a story about something that really pissed you off. Someone tailgated you on the way home, or your boss was super nasty today. Your dog, who was calmly laying down, is now pacing around you, unsure of why your energy is so off. 

Dogs are amazing teachers. They remind us daily to be calm, confident, and joyful. 

In Ontario, we made it out of lockdown for what felt like two minutes, before being locked down again. It was only a few days later that our provincial government changed their mind and issued a stay-at-home order instead. This is a time of unprecedented stress. Please be kind to yourselves right now. Take five minutes a day to think about the people and animals you are grateful for and to tell yourself that you CAN get through this. Then, take that positive energy and apply it to your dog walk.  

Call your dog calmly and with confidence. Set a small goal. If your dog has never worn a leash before and is a bit shy, that goal may be to teach them there’s nothing to be afraid of. 

Set small, achievable goals for each training session (Photo: Corgi puppy sitting on a hardwood floor)

If your dog is reactive: I’m going to walk him on-leash in the house for five minutes and teach him to follow me. 

If you have a new puppy: I’m going to teach my puppy how to walk on a leash today. Start small. Start inside with less distractions around. And have fun doing it! 

If your dog barks in the backyard: I’m going to go out into the yard for every bathroom break today and I’m going to use the leash to help me. 

If your dog won’t come to you when you pick up the leash: I’m going to work on recall in my home today. My dog’s going to wear a long line, so he can’t ignore me. For more information on long lines: https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/long-lines

Every moment of every day is a chance for you to develop an amazing relationship with YOURSELF. When you treat yourself with compassion, you’ll be able to treat others with compassion. This includes your dog. 

Patience. Compassion. Positive self-speak.

You can do this. I believe in you. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Dog Leaders.
Alyssa 

Photos by: Simon Migaj @simonmigaj (person sitting at the end of a dock, surrounded by water, mountains, and a sunset,) engin akyur @enginakyurt (woman wearing a black tank top and a surgical mask holds her head, as though it aches,) Vincentiu Solomon @vincentiu (sunrise over the mountains.) Brandon Cormier

@ghosttrooper (Corgi puppy sitting on a hardwood floor,)