Dog Speak Services

05/29/2026

05/22/2026

04/23/2026

That dude frogging on that patio has struggled with trauma-based reactivity since he was a puppy. His guardians have done so much to work with him to help him feel more confident, and that work is really showing. We’ve been working together for a little over a year, and this week is the first week I’ve done day training with him in a while.

The neighborhood has continued to be the biggest struggle because he knows his triggers so well! This week in one day he saw 8, count ‘em, 8!!! Dogs while out on a walk, including some of his most hated dogs. We used our skills, and he didn’t have a single reaction and we just kept moving past, or stood and waited for them to pass.

Today he walked past a house of screaming dogs, which in the past would have made him melt down. I am so proud of this dude and his parents who have put in the time, dedication, and work to help this guy feel better.

Reactivity work isn’t a short road or an easy road, but it IS a journey you can take, and things CAN get better.

03/23/2026

An aspect of care that’s often overlooked is some level of desensitization to gear at minimum and teaching skills to have agency at best. When it comes to having things on her body, I prioritize choice and agency for Maggie because of Who She Is As an Individual.

I want to get her into cold laser therapy this year, which requires the use of a solid fabric cone to protect her little eyeballs.

Here, I’m teaching a start button for assent (her putting her neck over the opening) for me to close the cone. I start by teaching the button, then I add more movement keeping an eye on her body language. I am NOT attaching it yet, still letting her get used to it being mostly closed very briefly.

This was our second 1 minute session. She does have background because this is our start button for putting her collar or harness on, and I worked on it briefly a year ago.

Also, just a reminder that training doesn’t need to be elaborate. This was 5 minutes total, 3 minutes of training, in my pajamas, after running 13 miles and being knackered. It’s a skill that you can build to this level of comfort, too! It only takes practice, consistency, and lowering the barrier to start.

03/05/2026

This is a chunk of cardboard that came in the delivery of a desk my partner ordered. 3 months ago. It’s still a favorite toy.

My partner started to throw it out after a few days, because it’s “trash.”

I stopped him.

To her, it’s ✨treasure✨

02/24/2026

✨ Client spotlight! ✨
Y’all, I CANNOT.

Willow’s mom and I have been working on Willow’s anxiety and sound sensitivity. She has made leaps and bounds, but recently made a regression. Among other things, one of the suspects was the recent addition of a Very Large boxer mix puppy into the household. While little Willow really took to the new puppy, at the end of the day, that’s a lot of activity for a very small girl! We talked about building a safe space set up, and boy, did her mom DELIVER.

Let’s break down why this is so lovely:
🦄 Multiple textures of squishes, including her personal favorite Squishmallow bed
🦄 Lick mat, ready and waiting like an open book (thanks to a colleague for that simile!)
🦄 Multiple textures and sizes of snuffle mats, one in bed, and one out of bed, for maximizing sniffing and calming
🦄 Non-slip texture to get out
🦄 Visual blocks
🦄 Open door for her to come in and out
🦄 Ex-pen blocking access from the larger dogs
🦄 Airflow but also nice and closed in for her, but plenty of room to move around
🦄 And y’all, that toy selection.
🦄 It’s away from commotion and activity

And for the humans?
🦄 It works for THEIR space
🦄 Her daughter helped and contributed a sign for the princess clubhouse!

I love to see it. I mean, I want this safe space for myself. Willow’s mom has been doing such a good job of listening to her needs and also being upfront about what’s realistic for her to be able to do! This is how we’ve been able to make such dramatic progress in a short amount of time.

02/18/2026

You’ll often hear me talking about the importance of letting dogs sniff and go at their own pace. This is critical for their mental health. Sniffing lowers their heart rate! In this case, Maggie was so engaged with her mailbox sniff that she never even noticed the chicken wing smell right by her!

05/25/2024

It's Success Saturday! I've been working with Fozziwig the cavapoo virtually since he came home as an itty bitty puppy at the beginning of the year. In one session, his person told me they had started struggling with barking, lunging, and chasing at birds. I gave them a game to work on, and ✨ two weeks later ✨ he came back and said that he now has an automatic check-in when he sees a bird. What does that mean? He sees a bird, and instead of barking, lunging, or chasing, he looks back to his person. What a smart boy! We're so proud of him, and I'm so proud of the work his human is doing.

If you're interested in virtual sessions, check out my website to view rates and offerings! Feel free to comment or send me a message if you have questions.
https://wix.to/lipUeYu

05/17/2024

Feature Friday! Lydia and Abhi worked wonderfully with their dog, Dobby the Aussiedoodle, as first time dog owners!! It was such a joy watching them improve and grow over the six weeks.

If you’re interested in joining me for my group classes with Whole Dog Institute, there’s still time! Classes start NEXT WEEK. The adult dog (7 months and up) class on Sunday is SOLD OUT! There’s two spots left for Saturday class. There’s still two spots for puppy class on Sunday and four spots for puppy class on Saturday. Don’t miss out!

05/14/2024

This sweet beagle, Bubba, and her guardians were the recent graduates of one of my puppy classes through Whole Dog Institute. Bubba started a little bit reactive -- just so much happening in class! Her guardians worked so hard and each week she was more and more focused and less and less barky. They did a wonderful job with her, and I look forward to continuing to watch them grow with her.

05/10/2024