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A basenji dog sniffing along a rocky beach

Essential Skills

How to Prepare Your Pet for Vacation

Vacations are supposed to feel like a break — but for a lot of pet parents, prepping for one just adds another item to an already overflowing to-do list. The good news? A little planning early on can make the whole thing feel a lot less chaotic.

Whether your pet is staying home with a sitter or coming along for the ride, this guide walks through exactly what to prepare — from routines and supplies to emergency plans and calming tools — so your trip actually feels like the break you need.

Emily Strong (she/they) July 27, 2026 No Comments

A golden retriever puppy chewing on a toy.

Essential Skills

Safe vs. Secure: What We Get Wrong About Puppy Confidence

A safe home isn’t the same as a secure one, and that gap explains why your puppy might still seem anxious despite having everything they need. Drawing on attachment research, here’s why confidence comes from the cycle of explore, check in, regulate, and explore again. You’ll get a reframe of

Emily Strong (she/they) April 20, 2026

Enrichment

Simple Enrichment Ideas for Shy or Nervous Dogs

If you’re a pet parent with a shy dog, we see you. You just want them to feel comfortable and secure in the life you are creating with them, and it can be really painful to witness their discomfort.

Corinne Collier (she/her) April 13, 2026

A fluffy white and brown dog hiding under a piece of furniture

Essential Skills

5 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Trust You (and how to Make it Better)

Did you have feelings about that title? Did it make you feel sad, confused or possibly even ashamed? Afterall, we love our dogs and it seems unlikely that anyone reading this post is intentionally trying to create conflict with their beloved pet. So before I jump into the signs of

MaryKaye Kendrick (she/her) April 6, 2026

A close up of a scruffy white and dark grey dog. His face and body is tense with wide eyes and dilated pupils. His ears are pinned back.

Behavior Problems

My Dog Growled at Me…and Other Tales of Resource Guarding in Dogs

What is resource guarding?
Turns out that’s a harder question to answer than I had anticipated. If you’re really interested in the minutiae of terminology around dogs using behavior to control access to resources, this paper will probably do the trick. For our purposes, resource guarding is just what

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) March 30, 2026

A black and brown dog lounging in the sun on a mat.

Behavior Problems

Separation Anxiety in Dogs and Why Progress Isn’t Linear

Separation Anxiety in Dogs and Why Progress Isn’t Linear Estimated reading time: 9 min Helping a dog with Separation Anxiety is hard. Being a dog with Separation Anxiety is hard. Separation Anxiety is just hard. It is stressful, it is heavy, it comes with a high caregiver burden, and I’m

Ellen Yoakum (she/her) March 23, 2026

A tattooed white person practicing yoga while a scruffy white and dark grey dog sniffs them.

Human End of the Leash

What Is a Stress Response Cycle?

I am lying on the floor on my yoga mat, wriggling like a worm. The speaker in front of me is blasting a percussive din of shrieks. My ribcage expands, I inhale. My exhale vibrates in my chest as a long, controlled breath turns into a hum. In the dim

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) March 16, 2026

A long haired tabby cat with one eye looking over a rug that has toys hidden under it.

Enrichment

3 Purrfect Ways to Stimulate Your Cat’s Brain

3 Purrfect Ways to Stimulate Your Cat’s Brain Estimated reading time: 8 minutes Enrichment is kind of a buzzword nowadays. If you have been the proud guardian of a dog, I would be pretty shocked if you hadn’t at least come across the concept of enrichment and why it matters.

MaryKaye Kendrick (she/her) March 9, 2026

A coppery dog stretched out lying next to a young , mostly black, tri-colored dog who is curled up.

Essential Skills

Behavioral Regressions in Dogs: What’s Normal and When to Seek Help

Behavioral Regressions in Dogs: What’s Normal and When to Seek Help Estimated reading time: 10 mins “We thought we’d already worked through this.” If you’ve ever said that about your dog’s behavior, you’re not alone. Maybe the food bowl guarding had improved. Maybe the growling at the couch stopped. Maybe

Emily Strong (she/they) March 2, 2026

A scruffy white and dark grey dog standing in a cemetery. He is wearing a yellow leash flag that says "I need space."

Behavior Problems

Life Lessons and Support for Behaviorally Complex Pets

Life Lessons and Support for Behaviorally Complex Pets Content warning: Brief discussions of aggression toward humans and dogs, and behavioral euthanasia. Please Ignore Us My house sits next to a small apartment building. As in my driveway is right next to some of their front doors. The building has pretty

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) February 23, 2026

A small black dog in a coat lunging with teeth bared, looking at a small poodle in a coat.

Human End of the Leash

There is No I in Team, but There is a U in Community

There is No I in Team, but There is a U in Community You are walking your reactive dog and you are both doing your very best. You have your high value treats in a treat pouch, you have a leash sleeve alerting others that your dog needs space. You

Valerie Bogie she/her February 16, 2026

A small light blonde Pomeranian-type dog standing on a vet exam table being held by a person wearing rubber gloves.

Essential Skills

Understanding Your Pet’s Veterinary Care Team

Understanding Your Pet’s Veterinary Care Team When was the last time you went to a concert? For me it was a couple weeks ago. I was positively delighted with the opening band, which, let’s be real, sometimes you never know if it’s gonna be your thing. Then the support crew

Veronica Garcia (she/her) February 9, 2026

A group of people in front of banner for Clicker Expo (Karen Pryor Training Academy). This is our dog trainer community: PETPro!

Human Enrichment

Before You Become a Dog Trainer, You Need a Community

Before You Become a Dog Trainer, You Need a Community I was nervous about being the person half of a demo team (along with Peter the Wondermutt, obviously) for Ellen’s recent and fabulous talk on creating safe spaces at Clicker Expo Live. I texted with my trainer bestie to get

Tiffany Holmes (she/they) February 2, 2026

Recent Blog Posts

How to Prepare Your Pet for Vacation

Safe vs. Secure: What We Get Wrong About Puppy Confidence

Simple Enrichment Ideas for Shy or Nervous Dogs

5 Signs Your Dog Doesn’t Trust You (and how to Make it Better)

My Dog Growled at Me…and Other Tales of Resource Guarding in Dogs

Separation Anxiety in Dogs and Why Progress Isn’t Linear

What Is a Stress Response Cycle?

3 Purrfect Ways to Stimulate Your Cat’s Brain

Behavioral Regressions in Dogs: What’s Normal and When to Seek Help

Life Lessons and Support for Behaviorally Complex Pets

There is No I in Team, but There is a U in Community

Understanding Your Pet’s Veterinary Care Team

Before You Become a Dog Trainer, You Need a Community

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