Erica Hunter, Dog Training and Behavior Coach

11/23/2025

I'm sitting down with Heather from Casa Luna Canines on Tuesday to talk about the most important time in your dog owning journey- the time before you ever bring your dog home!

Thinking about getting a dog because your couch looks lonely?

Slow your roll.

Join us Nov 25 for Dog Dreams vs Dog Reality, a free live chat with adoption expert Erica Hunter. We'll have a candid conversation about what works, what backfires and how to know if you're ready for that buddy! Link in comments.

10/19/2025

This looks like it will be lots of fun!

09/20/2025

Buckle up for some hard truths.

Shelters across the US are in crisis. Many are so full they’ve had to stop taking animals.

This is not a shelter problem. It’s a community problem.

FACTS:
Animals are being surrendered and abandoned faster than they’re adopted.
They’re being bred faster than we can save them.
They’re being given up on faster than we can rehome them.

If your local shelter is overflowing or forced to euthanize for space, it isn’t because they don’t care. It’s because the community has to do better.

What can help?

✔ Education about behavior, socialization, dog body language, effective training methods and bite prevention
✔ Resources for families adding babies/kids to homes with dogs
✔ Pet food pantries & community support
✔ Low-cost spay/neuter, microchipping & TNR programs
✔ More fosters, adopters & volunteers
✔ Honest conversations about future care if pets outlive us
❌ Less backyard breeding and puppy mills
❌ Less housing breed restrictions
❌ Less irresponsible, fly by night "rescues"
❌ Less aversive trainers making behavior issues worse by suppressing communication and body language

We don’t need to blame shelters. We need to step up as communities.

Read my post on What If Your Animal Outlives You here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2023/09/18/pets-outlive-human/

Read my post on why behavior suppression isn't behavior modification (why not to use aversive training methods) here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/08/04/behavior-suppression/

Read my post on what to ask before adopting here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/09/15/before-adopting/

09/17/2025

The Real Cost of Fake Service Animals 🐕‍🦺

"I'm going to register my dog as a service animal!" 🙄

I hear this constantly.

People buy vests online 🛒, pay scam websites for fake "official registration" 💸, and proudly display plastic IDs that mean absolutely nothing. 🆔

Here's what you need to know: 🧠
❌ There is NO official service animal registry in the US 🇺🇸
❌ Those websites charging $50-200 for "certification" are complete scams 🚨💰
❌ Most service animals in active utility cost $15,000-30,000 and take 1-2 years to train ⏰📚

But here's the real problem: 😠 Every fake service animal makes life harder for people with actual disabilities.

When you insist that your untrained dog access areas in public pets are restricted from 🐕💥, businesses become suspicious of ALL service animals.

The impacts are often that people who depend on these specially trained dogs to navigate basic daily tasks face:

Illegal questioning and denied access 🚫🏪
Increased scrutiny and judgment 👀😤
Safety risks when fake service animals distract or attack real ones ⚠️🐕‍🦺
Shame and embarrassment in public spaces 😔💔

One of my mentors who is confined to an electric wheelchair to move and is an expert in dog body language would often comment to me when we would see one of these dogs in public "careful what you wish for."

Let that sink in.

The bottom line:
📢 Real service animals perform life-saving tasks.

They're not pets with special privileges—they're medical equipment with four legs! 🩺🐕‍🦺

Want to bring your dog more places? 🐶❤️ Great!

But please:
✅ Advocate for more dog-friendly businesses 🏪🐕
✅ Look into legitimate therapy dog programs 🏥🐕‍🦺
✅ Consider emotional support animal options for housing 🏠💕
✅ Respect that service animal protections exist for people who truly need them 🤝♿

Your convenience isn't worth undermining someone else's independence. 💪✨

09/14/2025

Max's adventure

09/05/2025

I know lots of reactive dogs but many more reactive people.

08/26/2025

Happy National Dog Day!! Let's celebrate our dogs today! What makes your dog special? What does your dog do that makes you smile or laugh? What does your dog do that makes them incredible? Tell them- then tell us in the comments and post a picture of your best friend! Then party with their favorite activity, games, or treats!