Essential Skills
How to Teach Your Dog to Calm Down
How to Teach Your Dog to Calm Down I would be remiss if I didn’t start this blog by stating how vital the skill of
December 29, 2025
2 Comments
Enrichment
Too Hot to Handle? Enrichment Ideas for Scorching Summer Days
Summer, for me, is often a double edged sword. We are finally getting some sunny, warm days to enjoy out and about, but it doesn’t take much for the days to tip over into high heat. Days so swampy and humid that the next polar vortex suddenly seems appealing. When you don’t stop sweating from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, even in your most minimal clothing, you can imagine what that heat can do to our furry friends. That’s why keeping dogs entertained indoors can be so vital to your routine during these hot days and weeks.
August 18, 2025
No Comments
Essential Skills
Learning to Listen: Recognizing Your Dog’s Signals in Real Time
It was a lovely, warm sunny day and I couldn’t wait to get my girl, Olivia, outside for a walk! She’s a big fan of being in the sunshine, and I thought it would be the perfect day for it.
For those unfamiliar with Olivia and her life, she is a very leash reactive, noise phobic pup living in Chicago. (And yes, we cannot wait to move somewhere quiet with a yard). We do not rely on leash walks as Olivia’s main form of “entertainment” as the stress of them often outweighs the benefits for her. We balance how she is feeling that day with her desire to go on walks and supplement with other activities as needed.
June 9, 2025
No Comments
Essential Skills
Data Tracking: Finding a Method That Works For You
Behavior change is hard enough without adding in another piece of homework like data tracking. There are so many factors and contributors to behavior; we can look at antecedent arrangements, learning history, health, species-typical behaviors, the list can go on and on!
So how do we collect information in a way that is helpful and manageable to our behavior change journey?
December 9, 2024
No Comments
Essential Skills
The Ultimate Guide to Introducing Your Dog and Cat: 7 Expert Tips for a Harmonious Coexistence
Bringing a new dog or cat into the family can be an exciting and rewarding experience. This experience can be a tad more complicated when there is already an existing dog or cat in the household. When this is the case, our goal with introductions is to be thoughtful in our approach in order to set everyone up for success. Hence, here are some do’s and don’ts when introducing a new dog or cat to your household.
July 22, 2024
No Comments
