Have you considered the following enrichment activities with your dog? ✅ Agility training classes ✅ Scent detection-like exercises ✅ Snuffle/puzzle boxes ✅ Scavenging and searching for treats on walks ✅ Digging boxes (literally just kiddie pools with towels, toys and treats tossed in there) ✅ Meeting new dogs every 2-3 days ✅ Going to new parks and hiding snacks 1-2 times a week ✅ Bringing a different toy (keep them on rotation) or tug-and-pull toy on walks ✅ Using a flirt pole on walks or before walks ✅ Hiding your dog’s toys around the house ✅ Giving your fig cardboard boxes to snuffle through and shred ✅ Setting up obstacles ✅ Clipping your dog to your waist, buying them a dog backpack and have them carry the clothes pins and socks as they join you for laundry and cleaning chores ✅ Tricks and Games classes in your area ✅ Walking with your fog clipped to your waist inside and rewarding the more they do it calmly and slowly adding distractions like opening the door slightly ✅ Rewarding anytime your dog chooses to lay down on their bed or anywhere at all without any verbal cues from you (DIY ideas you can do at home are available on YouTube for most of these options, and also here .)

✔️ Know when your puppy is waking up ✔️ Prevent potty training accidents ✔️ Safer for small dogs to be noticed indoors The dog and cat world unites! Cat bells are no longer only great for cats to wear, in order to give birds a heads up when they get too close. They're also great for dogs and puppies to wear on their collar, to give us a heads-up, in many different ways. Useful for households with young puppies or small dogs! 10/10 Let's take a look at just how cat bells can improve you and your dog's relationship (that's right!), and what more they can do for you. There's nothing better for a pup than feeling like his/her needs are met before they even ask for it! A cat bell is a great tool that you can use that lets you know when your puppy is waking up or getting up from their bed, which can then help you prevent unknown potty training accidents or a pup that's getting bored. Why and when cat bells are helpful for dogs to wear: Puppies and new pet parents will benefit from cat bells the most! Think of them as acting just like a baby monitor, with a newborn. Except that you don't have to wait for your puppy to cry to take action, rather, thanks to the sound of the bells, you will know just what to do. They'll let you know if your puppy is potentially waking up, and or stepping out of his or her sleeping area. In this case, it's probably a good idea to head over and take them out for a bathroom break or guide them onto their pee pads. The amazing thing with this is that your puppy will from very early on realize that he didn't need to lift a paw, to make his needs known and met! For dogs in general How cat bells can enhance your relationship with your dog: Where cat bells should be worn

Teaching your dogs by forming proper associations is key. One example of this is your dog's bed. You can prevent destructive behaviours that result in your dog destroying his bed by providing it at the right time of day. And by that, I don't mean a particular hour of the day, but rather when your dog is feeling mellow and relaxed. This happens the most after your dog has had a chance to go out and play with other dogs, or gone to a new place and/or done mentally stimulating activities with you. Bringing out, or presenting your dog's bed to him when he feels mellow and relaxed (thanks to doing activities with you) can help prevented unwanted destructive behaviours, as well as make it easier for your dog to get actual rest and shut their brain down for a bit.

An adequately socialized dog is one that is the most equipped and prepared to make good choices in social settings. Working with many dogs of different demeanours, sizes, breeds and ages, I noticed that the most common issue is a lack of proper socialization. Not only at an early age but also in the dog's current day-to-day life. I should clarify that socialization to me, simply put, means that a dog is able to feel good, and as a result make good choices, in most social settings. Being able to play with other dogs is really only a small (but important) part of what it means to raise a well-socialized dog. They should be able to enjoy the idea of going for walks, car rides, to different stores, and/or pet shops, their vet, groomer and so on. As well as be able to communicate to you, and feel heard, whenever something new happens that causes them some confusion. That could be anything from a new sound, a new sight or a new smell. That said, it's important to note that all dogs learn and feel comfortable socializing at completely different paces. This is critical to understand, and it's where I oftentimes see pet parents struggle, as they start to tell themselves that their shy, nervous or even reactive dog just can't behave as they'd like, in most social settings. But this is not true! What's beautiful about dogs is they're always ready to grow and learn. Making it so all we have to do is create environments and look for settings where they can do just that but at their pace and ensure that our expectations are also realistic so that we won't push them too far. That's really the best thing you can do to help your dog slowly become more and more social, whether you have a young pup or a dog with social anxiety. Developing desired social skills will always be about positivity, repetition and feel-good experiences. Do be aware of anyone who tells you that you need to 'train' your dog to be more social, or that there's a quick-fix told that'll get your dog behaving better and listening to you. These suggestions generally don't work, even with the best of intentions, as there's really no way to speed up the creation of wanted behaviours. I'm always happy to answer any questions you have and recommend the best ways to go about socializing your dog, here .

When it comes to getting your dog to listen to you, you are far more likely to reach success if you've built a strong bond together. I oftentimes see pet parents trying to rely on treats to get their dogs to do things, but I believe that treats should be used the same way gold star stickers are used in school with toddlers. They know it's there, they know how to get it, you simply need to give them the sticker after they've done what you expect. ✨ It's as simple as that. However if you try to get your dog to make a good choice that they should already be able to, by waving a treat by their nose, you are more likely to always have to rely on treats, as opposed to your bond and your dog's desire to follow your guidance, without treats. But what happens when your dog really won't listen, even without treats? This means 1 of 2 things (or oftentimes both). Either your bond and relationship with your dog is simply not strong enough yet. Think about it, do you listen to the guidance of strangers or that of your friends more? Grow your bond through enrichment activities, to stimulate your dog's need to use their body, their mind and social skills in fun and engaging ways. And/or, chances are the environment where you are asking them to listen is simply too distracting/overwhelming/challenging for you both. In which case, your best bet is to walk away, take space and try redirecting your dog once you feel the setting is a little bit easier on you both.

The dog and cat world unites! A lot of you know how big I am on preventing unwanted behaviours, as opposed to only reacting/managing them. And I'm a big believer that cat bells are great at helping us do exactly that. Let's take a quick look at just how cat bells can improve you and your dog's relationship (that's right!), and what more they can do for you. Cat bells are no longer only great for cats to wear, in order to give birds a heads up when they get too close. They're also great for dogs and puppies to wear on their collar, to give us our own kind of heads-up! A cat bell on your dog's collar can help with: ✔️ Knowing when your puppy is waking up ✔️ Providing enrichment to your dog sooner than later ✔️ Preventing sudden potty training accidents ✔️ Safety, especially for small dogs to be noticed indoors There's nothing better for a pup than feeling like his/her needs are met before they even ask for it! A cat bell is a great tool that you can use that lets you know when your puppy is waking up or getting up from their bed, which can then help you prevent unknown potty training accidents or a pup that's getting bored. Why and when cat bells are helpful for dogs to wear: Puppies and new pet parents will benefit from cat bells the most! Think of them as acting just like a baby monitor, with a newborn. Except that you don't have to wait for your puppy to cry to take action, rather, thanks to the sound of the bells, you will know just what to do. They'll let you know if your puppy is potentially waking up, and or stepping out of his or her sleeping area. In this case, it's probably a good idea to head over and take them out for a bathroom break or guide them onto their pee pads. The amazing thing with this is that your puppy will from very early on realize that he didn't need to lift a paw, to make his needs known and met!

There's a time for every dog toy, and that's how you can get the most out of them! Just like how you're more likely to play a board game when you're feeling at ease and mellow, most toys that dogs can play with on their own are best provided when their mind is feeling relaxed, from other activities with you. Especially toys like Kongs, puzzles and treat dispensers, I see them acting similarly to a baby's pacifier as they settle into nap time. This will help ensure that your dog is engaged with the toy in question and also help prevent them from overly chewing or destroying it. This treat dispenser is the Tricky Treat ball and is hands down one of my favourites!

Here are a few day to day scenarios where I think it's more than okay to pick your little one up! 1️⃣ If you're somewhere new and/or overly stimulating and your dog is having a tough time adjusting. This can look different for each dog, but sometimes walking in another direction just won't do. In that case, a reliable option is to pick your dog up so that he/she can have a well deserved mental break in your arms. 2️⃣ If you're in a high traffic area and feel like it would be safer for your dog to be in your arms. I personally feel much more comfortable if I can hold a small dog in my arms when walking across a busy intersection. This can help make things a little less scary for him/her as a whole. 3️⃣ Especially if your dog is shy, if there are going to be other, bigger and/or more boisterous dogs around, it's a good idea to begin their interactions from a safe distance and just watching, from your arms, before meeting up close. Trust your gut and intuition. I've yet to meet a small dog who had behavioural issue due to being picked up at the right time.

If you don’t get a harness for any other reason, get it for this 1 reason: You have probably heard many different opinions on dogs wearing harnesses vs other training tools. Above all, the claim that harnesses encourage pulling, which is untrue if you ask me. Flat collars, no collars, harness, no harness, no matter what option you go with, you'll want to make sure to combine it with proper training. That said, if you put training aside, there’s one aspect of wearing a harness that is the most important attribute and a priority, which is your dog’s safety! A non-negotiable. Dogs can slip out of collars and/or they can snap, wear off and give up with time. I’ve experienced or seen all of these instances as a dog trainer. Harnesses, and the Freedom (No-Pull) Harness, in particular, is one that I’ve not experienced safety concerns with yet. Especially since it comes with clips both on the front and back, to suit your dog’s walking needs. What harness do you use? I like this one.

"My dog dislikes my partner/friend/family.. Help!" It’s tough dealing with a situation where your little one is generally social and friendly with most. But yet, for one reason or another, your dog just doesn't seem to be too fond of someone close to you and you're now left having to manage that situation each time they're together. Here's what you can do to both prevent and manage unwanted/negative situations with them: Tip #1 - If most of the issues happen at your home.. If most of the issues happen at your home, as that seems to be where your dog reacts the most (this is common), you can try first meeting outside and going for a nice, pressure-free walk. You can take this a step further by doing an activity your dog is sure to enjoy with you and the other person nearby, before coming indoors. When I first met Lilo she really wasn't too into me, as it's the case with most new people. 😔 But one day she and I went on a super long and fun walk together that changed things for the better from that point on. Tip #2 - When the person coming to your home arrives.. When the person coming over to your home arrives, ask them to wait by the entrance of your home after they stepped in, instead of just walking directly in. However, the success of this can depend on just how your dog feels and reacts to this person in particular (the more challenging scenarios will encourage you to use a leash to guide your dog to take space first). But the idea is that you want your dog to be able to take his/her time to sniff, assess, think and walk away before anyone comes in. Letting your dog do this will help them feel more comfortable with the following interactions, even if they've already met before." “Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.” —Hal Borland Tip #3 - This one will sound familar.. This one will sound familiar to other advice you'll see me recommend but it's for good reason.. provide enrichment to your dog daily, ESPECIALLY when people are coming over! There's really nothing better than a dog who associates people and social interactions with relaxation and the feeling of calmness above all. Having a tired/mellow little pooch can also help them slow down, think and as a result make better choices that you're both happy with! Pro Tip! Do your best to avoid this: A common mistake a lot of pet parents (and even trainers) make, is they try to use food as a way to encourage or ease a dog's introduction to someone or a situation they may find unpleasant. This is something that may work with certain dogs, however, food or treats, in general, don't have the capability of truly forming the idea of actual comfort and safety inside your dog's heart and mind. Food can certainly help your dog go into a situation in a more positive mindset as a result, but to ensure that things remain optimistic, you will want to focus on forming a bond instead. This requires time, patience and experience. Your dog will be the one to let you know once he/she feels comfortable and safe, and that's when it's truly helpful to bring out food to reward the progress and efforts that helped your dog get to that point.