Let's go over three ways I recommend you practice regularly with your dog to help him or her feel more mellow, relaxed, and tired! 1. Provide physical stimulation by playing fetch, using a flirt pole, tugging and pulling, and even digging. These physical outlets provide activities that will feel pretty natural to most dogs. You can use the flirt pole both indoors or outdoors, to help encourage your dog to direct any prey drive towards it (probably the fastest way to get your dog to focus their energy on you). Just make sure that you keep that game, in particular, short in duration, as dogs can easily overexert themselves and not know how to take a break from it on their own. But it's definitely a game you can try incorporating into your walks to get even more out of them, depending on your dog's comfort level. Tugging and pulling are also fantastic ways to engage with your dog more, especially on walks, and have them burn even more physical energy quickly, in a fun way. Lastly digging - if your dog loves to dig, there is no harm in taking them to a park or area where there's sad and your dog can dig to his heart's content! Even better if you try hiding a toy of theirs in the sand, for some extra searching fun. Your dog will be sure to go back home tired. 2. Provide mental stimulation through problem-solving exercises like puzzles, snuffle mats, and busy boxes. It's easy to create games and activities where your dog gets to use their nose and mind to figure out how to get to each piece of their treats or even their kibble! Doing so through problem-solving games like puzzles and snuffle mats, and even better busy boxes (DIY cardboard boxes where you hide within it other smaller boxes, empty toilet roll papers, towels, and toys) for your dog to have to search through and get to each delicious treat! 3. Try 1 and 2 on your walks! Yes, bring the flirt pole, the snuffle mats, the toys, balls, and any other toys you have with you that'll be sure to transform your walk into the most engaging and stimulating activity. Follow that with some additional mental stimulation outlets once you're back from your walk for your dog to continue having fun with, to ensure that you're left with a happy, tired pooch!

✔️ Safer to use for walking than any collar ✔️ Doesn't provide corrections/punishment ✔️ More easily redirects a dog's movements Likely the best and safest dog-walking tool available. The misconception of harnesses is that they increase pulling. Harnesses, like any other tool, will not address, prevent or fix an unwanted behaviour without the support of proper dog training, patience, positive reinforcement and understanding your dog's limits. Freedom (No-Pull) Harnesses come with two clips, and the front one is the one you can rely on to most easily guide your dog to help redirect them when you think they may be pulling. The harness does this by guiding your dog's chest toward the direction in which you are walking. Or toward the opposite direction in which your dog is pulling. For heavy pullers, you can use a second leash or a double-clip leash, to use both the front and back clips for added support and safety. The ultimate goal of this harness is to act as nothing more than a safety tool. No different than wearing a seatbelt when driving. Ultimately what's going to ensure that you and your dog are both enjyoing your time together when walking is proper training and first practicing walking in ideal setups is what will ultimately help you find success with these harnesses. Definitely recommend! 10/10

There are so many options available to help you walk your dog and better your dog's leash-walking skills. However very few compare to the following one, and I'm not referring to training, but rather safety. I believe in a few different types of leashes such as long lines, and sometimes retractable leashes, but this leash is by far the #1 leash I recommend, whether you have a heavy puller or a great dog walker. Let me tell you why! There are two elements that make this leash reliable: 1. The secondary handle it comes with iwill make it so you can very quickly and comfortably gain control of a situation. This handle is great for when you're walking close to traffic and cars, or there are other dogs around and you'd like to be able to easily guide your dog away safely. 2. The clip near the main handle can be used to clip the leash to your waist and/or your dog's poop bags. Clipping your leash to your waist can be a backup safety option (use with caution with heavy pullers), especially in a crowded or busy area where the leash could accidentally slip from your hands. But it's also a super convenient option that makes it so you can practice leash walking and training exercises, keeping your hands free to treat your dog and guide them as you need. Couple this leash with this walking harness and you will feel amazingly comfortable knowing that your dog's safety is always top on your priority list! Check it out!

"Why Does My Puppy Pee So Often?" Only had the new puppy for less than a week, and I am exhausted. She's five months old and as sweet as can be but needs to potty about every 30 minutes. Going to a vet for a checkup in the morning. I know it's a long process, but I need to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. This is a very common question, a very common concern. The main thing that stands out to me is that she's only had the puppy for a week, but the puppy's already five months. So this let me know that either the puppy has been, separated from the mother just recently, or, the puppy was home. Buy another family first and then rehome. Which could mean anything as far as the learned behavior. It's what's been practiced, what's been allowed, what's been encouraged. And, pottery training of course is, primary when puppies are this young and still very much learning. So if a puppy, whether they've lived with someone else or with me or regardless really, of their age, unless we're dealing with an adult dog, a puppy going to the bathroom every 30 minutes will really have me. Start by looking at the routine. And I don't mean so much their schedule or when they're being asked to go outside, but rather the routine as far as how often they drink water, how much water do they drink? Do they go, do they have accidents every 30 minutes? And how do we respond to that? That's what I mean by routine. But yes, more than anything. How are they getting their water and how much? That's where that's what I would start looking at. If my puppy is drinking, two litres of water, then it's pretty normal that they're going every 30 minutes. I don't want to, by any means restrict the amount of water that my puppy needs, but if I can reach out to my vet and say, I have a five-month-old. This pre, this energy level, this is the weather outside, it's really hot, it's really cold. This is how much, physical activity she does. This is how much food she eats. Potentially the vet can give you a bit of an idea as to how much water she should be drinking, but regardless of the amount, regardless of how you decide that amount, I would then correlate that to how often bathroom breaks are happening or even accidents as well, to get an idea of where the bladder is at right now. Cuz it could be that this puppy doesn't. Drink anymore, than they should. But yeah, for some reason is having to pee that often. So unless there's a UTI, which, it's a good thing that they're gonna go to the vet for the checkup. But if it's not a UTI, I would look as to how much water they're drinking and how often. I personally would rather have a dog water bottle. With a sticker that shows the daily intake. That way, if there are multiple people in your household, what you can do is have that sticker indicate that the daily amount is that. And so if people or family's providing a puppy with water, they're gonna make sure that they provide that daily amount. That's within that, sticker marker. And then, we make sure that one, the puppy gets enough water. Two, we know just how much. And if it's been a warm day, if the puppy's been doing a lot of things throughout the day and we know, she should be drinking more, then we also know, we may need to take her out an extra time today because she's had some, additional water. But if we don't know what that looks like, if we, don't actually have an idea of how much water a puppy is drinking, then it's really tough to work from that and to get a bit of a routine or a bit of an idea of what the bladder actually can handle in a more regulated environment.

Aside from it possibly being an object that is particularly special for them, your dog may be trying to get a game started that way (or think that by keeping something from you, something good will happen) and/or trying to let you know that they'd like to be provided with fun activities for their brain & body to focus on instead. What you should do if your dog isn't big on sharing his toys with you is practice sharing other, less valuable toys or objects, especially when your dog is feeling mellow or tired, and reinforce that with treats, to more easily create a relaxed and positive association with sharing.

Whether you have a young pup or an older dog, it’s good to know what tools and options you have to help him or her love nothing more than feeding time! We oftentimes come across dogs that have lost the appetite for their meals, but it’s never too late to change things up to get them interested in their food once more. Let’s go! 1. Snuffle mats Snuffle mats are probably the best way to feed a dog, regardless of their age, breed, or behaviour! It creates a fun sense of having to scavenge for each piece of kibble (or small pieces of their treat). You will never go wrong with using a snuffle mat instead of a regular bowl. Browse snuffle mats here. After your dog is done snuffling, provide a frozen kong so that your dog has something fun to chew and lick and encourage a relaxed behaviour that is in itself a reward for everyone! 2. Food Puzzles The first solution is great for mental stimulation and this one is no different, except that it provides more opportunities for problem-solving skills to develop! Most puzzles come in different levels, so make sure you start with the easiest one, especially if you have a young pup, and that you supervise their interactions as to ensure that it’s a manageable difficulty to avoid any frustration and chewing/destructive behaviour. You can explore different food puzzles here. 3. On Walks/Outings This option is different from the others as it’s completely free and the most flexible! When using snuffle mats and/or food puzzles, leave a bit of your dog’s food left for your next walk. You can do this in your backyard as well. Bringing your food on your walk will add a fun element to it where you can then have your dog find every small piece of kibble you toss along your walk. It’s extra fun when the pieces happen to hide in the grass and your dog can then use his nose to scavenge. A useful item that can help you is a dog trainer pouch! Keep in mind that expecting your dog to snuffle for their food on walks and outings can sometimes be a tall order if you find that there are too many distractions at the time, in which case you are better starting and reinforcing this type of activity with a mixture of food and treats that your dog doesn’t get at other, less distracting times and eventually you will be able to work your way to their regular kibble & food! Try these out! Feel free to reach out to let us know how these options worked for you! Young pups will take to these quickly and appreciate access to a mixture of these habits and other enrichment activities. Older dogs may need a bit more time readjusting if you’re planning on switching from their bowl (you should!) to some of these options!

"Why Does My Puppy Only Pee in One Spot?" Question about potty training. I often see advice from trainers to take the puppy to the same spot outside. But won't this teach them to go to only in that one spot? I understand that having a dedicated spot is very convenient, especially in bad weather when business needs to be done quickly. I'd like for the puppy to be able to potty outside in general, on walks, and not hold everything in until he gets the dedicated spot. Thank you in advance for your input. That's a very good question. Very, uh, specific. But when it comes to potty training, what I would recommend is, really taking a look at your puppy's demeanour. And I know that's not where a lot of trainers go when, asked about potty training, but if your puppy is needing to use one specific. Spot then it's not so much about the spot, it's about their comfort level. And so if I have a puppy that's a little bit more happy-go-lucky, a little bit more confident, a little bit more playful, more eager, more sure of himself, then I will likely have a much easier time going to new places, going to new areas, going to new locations, and having them do, or having them feel relaxed and at ease, comfortable enough to just potty there. And so what I'd recommend again is really look at the demeanour. If your puppies one that is rather shy, timid, unsure, then having that same spot can be very reassuring for them, can be very clear, indicator to them that they know what to do, where to do it, when to do it, and I would slowly start to transition my way out of that. I wouldn't rush it. If again, my puppy is one that's more eager, a lot more, confident, then you can likely push the boundaries a little bit more and go further out. Try new places, new locations, and you won't have much of an issue. But if yours is more of a. Shy pup, inexperienced, a little bit more nervous, and having that one spot maybe turn into two spots, and then eventually three without rushing would really be the key here, so that eventually your puppy does learn to generalize. Does learn to use multiple places and eventually just anywhere or grass in general. Of course, have it be the place for them to go potty.

Nobody is perfect! Whether it's a product or service you're looking for, at the end of the day you're dealing with another individual, sentient being and what worked for one may not work for another. That said, we ARE dealing with our best friend, and so we need to make sure that we find the very best dog training support available. Here are 10 red flags you want to look out for (in no particular order), before working with a trainer: 1. 'Too good to be true' promises in a short amount of time. When you're working with an animal, particularly when you're looking to change something about them/their behaviour, please assume that it will take more time than you think. Dogs do not act or live based on a clock, meaning they are never rushed, and thus to best understand them, we need to do the same and not fall into the false appeal or promise of achieving a certain goal within a short amount of time. Instead, look for a trainer that focuses more on how good you and your dog will feel every minute working together, on your road to your goals! 2. Correction-based methods. Your dog isn't acting one way or another due to a lack of corrections, but rather because what they are doing simply happens to work for them and their individual needs/wants. So instead, look for a trainer that will work WITH that, rather than against it. Meaning if your dog finds himself digging often in your yard, an ideal trainer will help you consider providing healthy and practical opportunities for your dog to be able to dig to their heart's content in a location and time that you're happy with. Or if you have a very energetic dog, don't let them recommend corrections but rather healthy outlets to that energy like agility training, nosework games, scavenging, food puzzles, etc! 3. Not providing an understanding of the root of your dog's issue(s). Going hand in hand with the previous red flag, this one requires knowledge, patience, care and experience, all resulting in a good trainer is to help you understand why your dog does what he does so that you can all work together and prevent it, instead of putting a correction or fix/bandaid on the matter and risk it resurfacing in another way because the root of the issue was never addressed and handled properly. 4. Not providing ways to prevent unwanted behaviours. Also going hand in hand with red flag #3, it's important that your trainer will provide you with tools, scenarios and methods to prevent unwanted behaviour. Otherwise, you are more likely to find yourself instead having to manage the behaviour as it's already happening, instead of preventing it so that your dog can eventually forget it and leave it behind, replacing it instead with a different, wanted behaviour. 5. Forces you to buy a specific tool. No one training tool will address and fix all of our concerns. It all comes down to how you train and guide your dog in different scenarios. That said, if your trainer is requiring that you only use one type and only that type of tool, this could be a red flag that indicates they have built their support system on that single product, as opposed to guiding your dog to succeed in all (pain-free) circumstances and tools. Look instead for a trainer that is more open and provides you with multiple options you are not obligated to use. (Bonus) 6. Something just doesn’t feel right about their recommendations. Trust your intuition. If something just doesn't feel right for you, no matter what you've heard, read or seen about the trainer you're looking into, then it's best that you proceed with another. Better to listen to your intuition rather than perhaps risk regretting moving forward with the support of a service you didn't fully believe in and feel good about.

Dogs love to! It's a common dog method to save an item for later use and a great way to burn some mental and physical energy. The best thing you can do about this is to provide your dog with digging outlets. You can allot them a specific digging zone in your backyard. Or you can encourage them to do it at a playground where there's sand, or at a park if there's an area where it's okay to dig the dirt there. Additionally, you can also try some of my DIY indoor enrichment activities, not only to help your dog burn energy in general but also because some of these activities will encourage your dog to dig indoors (mostly inside a cardboard box with towels/snuffling items).

1. Make sure that you monitor their daily water intake to see to it that they're not drinking too much/out of boredom. 2. Log the amount of time between pees, even if it was an accident. This way you will know how much time your puppy's bladder can hold, in correlation to the amount of water he/she gets to drink daily 3. Slowly work on increasing the amount of time in between outdoor bathroom breaks. 4. After playing, sleeping, and eating provide your pup with a quick opportunity to pee & poo outside. 5. Really important one! Avoid using bells or other means to allow your puppy to let you know when he/she needs to go outside for a bathroom break. It's far better, for you and your dog's relationship, if your puppy learns that they don't need to prompt you to let them outside. Not only can this be something they use when they're bored, want attention, or want to do something outside that might not be a bathroom break, but it's a prompt-like behaviour that can then be carried to other scenarios, where your dog might feel like he has to do something, in order for you to react, like barking, pulling, jumping, etc. And so it's best if your pup learns that all they have to do is wait and that you know exactly when they need what.