Is gentle parenting only for gentle dogs? This week we explore if gentler methods can be effective with more unruly or difficult dogs. Or are kinder/force free methods only for easy or sensitive dogs? We explore our own experiences and take an honest look at how we interact and train with dogs who have different personalities. Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
This week we are talking through training some of our favorite tricks and cues. Some of those include naming rooms in the house, go around, pick it up, take it with you, sit pretty, relax, etc. We also talk through teaching things formally vs. informally. So listen along for some fun inspiration and ideas. Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
Currently ranked as our 2nd most popular episode! Let's remind ourselves to be kind to both ends of the leash.
Are you playing the shame game, like the rest of us? Where does shame come from and how do we combat it? Explore the subject of the shame game, and the equally fun shame spiral, that so many of us find ourselves in when the life we planned with our dogs, goes awry. Dive into the reasons we so often experience shame and why no one should feel alone as we experience difficulties in training, behavior, and sometimes just day to day life with our dogs. Both Heather and Kristi share some of their own experiences, and the shame they felt surrounding failed expectations, and the grace they've learned to give themselves, their dogs, and others experiencing unexpected difficulties.
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Links:Losing Lulu - a grief support group for anyone who has been through a behavioral euthanasia. https://www.facebook.com/groups/losinglulu/
This week we are talking about adding a confident dog to your home to help your shy dog. This can be immeasurably helpful for some dogs, while for others it makes almost no difference at all. We'll discuss what things to consider when adding another dog. We'll also talk about how to stack the deck in your favor for the best possible results. Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
This week we are talking to Kate Rapkoch, who runs Paws and Breathe. Kate is not only a talented and trauma informed yoga instructor, but she is also a certified end of life pet doula. We have an open and sometimes emotional talk about pet loss as well as healing after a loss. Kate is kind enough to share her experience of loosing her own soul pup Champ, and how she stays connected to him and his memory now. Kate also shares a plethora of resources for pet parents preparing for their pets passing or recovering from the passing of their beloved pet.
How to connect with Kate:Paws + Breathe | Yoga, Wellness, and Animal Support in ArizonaPaws + Breathe FacebookPaws + Breathe IGFollow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
This week we are addressing the comparison game that so many of us are playing. We have a real and raw conversation on how comparison has been the thief of joyful moments with our dogs. We both find that we don’t compare our dogs' abilities to other dogs but instead compare our individual shortcomings to other more successful or experienced handlers. Realistically we should be proud of both our small and big accomplishments we experience with our dogs. So instead of finding ways to compare ourselves to others, we are committing to finding the joy in a variety of moments with our dogs.
In this episode we are taking on the difficult subject of behavioral euthanasia. Both Heather and Kristi share their personal experiences with behavioral euthanasia. For Heather a suspected brain tumor created huge changes in Cash's behavior and personality. For Kristi it was Ginny's increased anxiety that put Ginny and other dogs in the home at risk. However, other people have to make the hard decision for a beloved family dog who is perfect 99% of the time, but the other 1% might be a danger to the public or even the family. Although each journey is unique, everyone who is in this situation deserves kindness and understanding. Euthanizing a dog is never an easy choice, but when that grief is coupled with trama it can be exceptionally difficult. However, we want to remind everyone that there is support for those who may be struggling after making the decision to humanely euthanize a dog due to behavior issues.
Losing Lulu: (1) Losing Lulu | FacebookFollow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
This week we are talking about how hormones can drastically change behaviors in dogs. Trin's most recent heat cycle ended up leading to some aggressive behaviors, which was a bit triggering for Heather. However, as we have preached in the past, behavior doesn't change on a dime, and typically there is a medical issue. In this case the medical issue was hormones. Hormones can affect individual dogs very differently and in a wide variety of ways. Heather consulted with her vet and breeder and came to the decision to spay Trin. Trin is already showing signs of going back to her normal, social self. Heather was also brave enough to share her experience and quickly found that she was not alone. One friend even reached out to explain that they had to do hormone replacement therapy with their dog after a spay. So if you do see major or minor behavior shifts in your dog during their heat cycle know that you are not alone!Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
This week we are talking about separation anxiety with Caitlin Wolfe. After adopting a dog who suffered from separation anxiety Caitlin wanted to be able to help other dog owners experiencing the same thing. While Caitlin works with a variety of behavior issues, she is specifically CSAT certified for separation anxiety. Each dog is an individual and it's important that the training can be customized for each dog. Some dogs are okay as long as someone is home, other dogs need their owner present. This is why individual training plans are not only important but necessary. We are talking about some of the causes and some of the misinformation surrounding separation anxiety. One thing owners can do for their dog is contact a trainer as soon as they see signs of separation anxiety. This way the dog doesn't have months or years of rehearsing anxiety behaviors. The goal in training is to change how the dog feels about being left alone. Even though changes in routine, housing, or family dynamics can cause set backs, Caitlin does believe separation anxiety can be cured.Don't forget to review, subscribe, and share!
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Links: Caitlin Wolfe, Wolfe Paw Dog Training Dog Training | Wolfe Paw Training | United States
CSAT Program: Separation Anxiety Training Certificate Program - Malena DeMartini
The teen/adolescent years - regardless of the species they can be tumultuous. So how much stock should we put into teenageadolecent dog behavior? The adolescent years for dog can be messy. Often owners see a side of their dog they haven't seen before, or behaviors intensify during this time. We talk through some of the behaviors that we have experienced with our own dogs and how we addressed them. Training is always going to be a win for both the people and dogs involved. Adolescent dogs are growing, changing and becoming their adult self, so it is important to keep in mind the relationship you already have with your dog and build off of that. While your dog may outgrow many of their "bad" behaviors it shouldn't be assumed that this will happen naturally. Instead we want to hope for the best, but train for the behavior in front of us.
This week we are talking about dog relationships and how they differ between individual dogs. We talk through a recent play group at Heather's house that included 6 dogs of varying sizes and personalities. There were several different play styles among the group and different interest levels between the individual dogs. We discuss how dynamics can change when adding or subtracting individual dogs. Of course we couldn't help but reminisce about the incredibly special relationship Lucy and Thiago shared for several years and how that differed that relationship was from others they had. Dog friendships, much like human friendships, look very different between different individuals and in groups and that is okay as long as everyone is having fun!
In this episode we are continuing our conversation with dog trainer Sunny Bravo about service dogs. In our continued conversation we talk about what to look for when selecting a dog for service work. We also talk through who should be involved in the dog selection process. Once a dog has been selected Sunny likes to start the training process simply with body language, then adds leash pressure, toys and treats from there. We address what service teams should aspire to be and how much work goes into that level of reliability. Sunny was kind enough to share her experiences as both a service dog handler as well as a trainer, which gave us a more thorough understanding of everything that goes into service dogs.
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This week we are talking with dog trainer Sunny Bravo who specializes in training service dogs. Sunny has been in the dog training industry for 26 years and has worked with a large variety of breeds. She has worked with everything from basic family dog training to human focused dog aggression cases. Sunny helps define the differences between emotional support animals, a therapy animal and a service animal. Service animals are trained to do a specific task to mitigate the owner's life altering disability. We discuss unwanted attention that goes along with having a service dog and what that looks like for handlers. We also address what gear is required, allowed and prefered for service dogs.
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This week we are addressing some of the complexities of dog behavior. Often, we are told things like ears pinned back or hackles up mean aggression, and while this may be true for some dogs it is not true for all dogs. Often dogs will raise their hackles due to excitement, surprise, or a number of other reasons. While there are guidelines on what a behavior might normally mean, each dog is an individual with individual nuances. We'll share examples of why watching the whole dog becomes important as well as why interpreting behavior on an individual basis is so important. Don't forget to review, subscribe, and share!
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This week we have Katherine Burbach on the episode talking about her relationship with her dog Dos over the years and how it has grown and changed. Dos can have big feelings about people and dogs when he's on walks, and Katherine realized early on that she needed a plan that she could easily implement with positive results. Stinky treats were the key to helping refocus Dos and helping him learn to be calm around others while on leash. This has helped the pair deepen their own relationship as well as helped set an example for their neighbors. By building their relationship through training Katherine has learned to better listen to and understand Dos, even when he's being a bit spicy. Katherine has also learned to advocate for him inside her own home by setting appropriate boundaries for both Dos and guests. This journey has taught Katherine to enjoy and appreciate the everyday moments, as well as celebrate the milestones along the way. Over the years these two have deepened their relationship through trust, patience and continued learning.
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This week we are talking about different perspectives for the same event. This was inspired by a recent agility class that Kristi and Jaxon went to. Kristi had an apponion on what happened, the trainer had a different oppinion, and Heather had a third opinion about the same event and behaviors. As humans we often create a story and interpret behavior through the lens of the story we have created. When in reality we are living with and training a different species. When we allow ourselves to hear different perspectives it gives us more insight into what might be happening with a behavior and more tools and options work through that behavior.
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What is Drive? In Episode 52 we talked a lot about drive, but never really defined it. Drive can look very different between dogs. Often we talk about drive in reference to prey and food, but drive can show up in a variety of forms such as people drive, owner drive, etc. Even drive within the same area can look really different. For example Heather has three dogs with food drive, but how that motivates and presents with each dog looks different. We also talk through how different motivations or drives can produce the same behavior. Trin and Jaxon both love the sport of Fast Cat, however Trin is motivated by prey drive while Jaxon is motivated by the chase itself. Understanding what drives your dog can help build drive in areas you want and make life easier by allowing you to channel your dog's drive appropriately.
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This week we are talking about unexpected consequences of desired dog behaviors. We often have certain behaviors we are looking for when purchasing or adopting a dog, however many desired behaviors have an unforeseen flip side to them. Something as simple as dog sociability can lead to reactivity if socialization needs are not being met. Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting an athletic dog who can keep up on hikes and runs, as long as you realize that most athletic dogs need daily exercise, not just weekend adventures. While a lot of people say they want a smart dog, smart dogs tend to be curious, and curious dogs tend to be curious all the time, not just when it is convenient or appropriate. So, when you see a behavior that appears in an unexpected way it's important to remember the upside of that behavior, and why that was important to you in the first place. Don't forget to review, subscribe, and share!
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We are talking about a recent study that says 99% of dogs have behavioral problems. While we disagree with that number, we do agree that behavior problems are increasing. We also agree with a recent post Heather found stating that training has become more about educating people and less about hands on dog training. There are likely too many factors contributing to an increase in behavioral issues to name them all, but we are talking about a few of them that we believe are contributing to the rise in behavior issues. One major factor is that there have been a lot of changes over the years in how we as Americans live with dogs. We talk through how some of these changes are for the betterment of dogs and how some are to the detriment of the dogs we live with. Modern dog training focuses a lot on supporting humans through education so they can support the unique needs of the dogs they love.Don't forget to review, subscribe, and share!Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/
*It is our 50th episode!!!! *
This week we are talking about our recent experience ata dog show cluster from both a newbie's point of view and a more experiencedpoint of view. We talk through how much is expected of the dogs in thissituation, and how much we appreciate our dogs being able to perform and behavedespite endless distractions in a new/strange environment. We arerecapping our highs and lows from the weekend including things like community,solid dog temperaments, and having fun with our dogs.
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