Heart to Heart Dog Training and Boarding

04/29/2023

The Beauceron, a French shepherd that is one of the oldest breeds, is mistaken for other breeds/mixes frequently.

These dogs are robust and look imposing, but beautiful. They are rare in the United States but are gaining more popularity.

Beauceron owners describe them as goofy and slow to mature. They are not for novice owners, as they are intelligent, energetic, and don't respond well to harsh training.

You must have a sense of humor to live with their silly antics!

The Beauceron is a "jack of all trades" when it comes to dog sports and work. They are extremely versatile.

This breed comes in black and tan/rust as well as harlequin. Their ears can be cropped or left natural and floppy!

Always make sure to research breeders before purchasing a puppy.

03/21/2023

WHIPPETS! So much to say about these wonderful little guys.

A whippet is on my bucket list of dogs to have in the future. One thing that appeals to me about them is their calm demeanor and ease to live with.

Do you have cats, though? Whippets do chase cats and may need training not to do this.

Whippets are frequently mistaken for Greyhounds or Italian Greyhounds. These dogs SHOULD look quite "skinny" and athletic.

Do you have a whippet? Let me know what you love about them or tell me which breed you'd like to see next in the comments :)

03/19/2023

A common misconception when interpreting dog behavior is what people think when a dog lunges, growls, or appears "protective/aggressive" in certain situations.

There are some breeds that have natural, instinctive protection tendencies (like livestock guardians), but most of the time, your dog is not protecting you...

Your dog is actually being reactive to the situation.

If your dog is not professionally trained in protection, then most likely your dog is being reactive.

Reactivity is actually a FEAR-BASED behavior that can escalate to aggression (did you know that most dog bites are due to fear?)

If a dog is pushed over its threshold or triggered and he learns that barking/lunging makes the threat go away, then he continues to do that!

He has learned that being "scary" makes the trigger go away.

This is why socialization is so important. Making the dog indifferent to different situations in the environment is key.

A trained protection dog must be told a command protect and can easily be called off the behavior.

If you have a puppy or dog who starts to bark or growl at certain things/people/animals, start desensitizing! The dog must know that a dog walking by on a hiking trail or the waitress at your local cafe patio is not a threat.

Confident and stable dogs, in most cases, do not react out of fear. Help your dog out in these situations by leaving the situation and working on socialization :)

03/16/2023

Great article on body language and displacement behaviors:

Displacement behaviours are normal behaviours that seem displaced and are displayed out of context. These behaviours are a reflection of the dog’s inner state rather than conscious communication.

03/06/2023

There I was as a college student... standing in the middle of campus with a terrified young German Shepherd puppy.

He would scramble and hide behind my legs when anybody passed. If someone approached, he would muster up all that he could in his little vocal cords and bark.

I was so confused, as this was such a young puppy (a GSD at that!) who I was having issues taking ANYWHERE.

Although I made some mistakes with him, genetically he was a disaster. I didn't know any better ten years ago and it was my first encounter with a dog that just wasn't "wired" correctly.

I thought I was supposed to socialize him! This is what everyone told me to do. It just seemed like he would get frightened any time I tried to take him out to do anything with me. I was extremely confused.

Here's the thing: this puppy's threshold was extremely low and his confidence was almost 0. He was not ready to be exposed to the world like that, which was then giving him negative experiences in public.

So... what does socialization ACTUALLY mean?

Dogs go through "sensitive periods" between weeks 3 and 14, and another later (if your dog is older than this, don't fret!)

What you should be doing is creating positive experiences with your dog through everyday circumstances. Your dog does not need to meet everyone, but you need to be preparing them for reacting appropriately in places like the car, the vet's office, in the home, around children, etc.

Introduce your dog to new sights, textures, smells, sounds, etc. and make it fun! You want to start building positive associations. If the dog is not finding the experience fun, remove the dog and try again on another day (more slowly... baby steps here!)

One thing I do with my puppies is feed them YUMMY treats while taking them out in public. I want their attention on me... so if we are walking by another dog or person I say their name and reward them for making eye contact. They know that everything is alllll good. (Please note that you should refer to your vet about taking young puppies out before vaccinations are complete)

Share if you found this helpful!

03/01/2023

What is your favorite breed to train?

My personal favorite has ALWAYS been German Shepherds.

The right pup is eager to learn, challenging, biddable, and extremely intelligent.

This is Neo (you'll be seeing a lot of him) and he is a working line German Shepherd!

Tell me about your dog in the comments!

02/28/2023

Who doesn't know what a Labrador Retriever is?!

I would be shocked to meet anyone who has never interacted with America's #1 dog breed.... the Labrador Retriever!

These dogs are exuberant, full of energy, and ready to take on the world with you. Every well bred Lab that I have met has been extremely friendly and happy-go-lucky.

Labs are hunting dogs and they love to swim. They come in 3 accepted colors: chocolate, yellow, and black.

Their coats are short and oily, which helps them while working. They are a retriever and have "soft mouths": you may find a Lab carrying around random objects in his mouth ever-so-gently.

Labs are also said to have an "otter-like tail," which helps them while swimming... but make sure you clear off your coffee table, as their happy personality can cause them to swipe everything right off of it!

Labs are extremely popular and great for families... but many people don't realize how much exercise they require; they are working dogs, after all!

If you'd like to bring a Lab into your family, make sure you seek out a reputable breeder. Ask them a ton of questions and make sure the parents are health tested. It's even better if they are used in field work or have some sort of "proof" that they are of breed standard.

If adopting, make sure you are actually getting a Lab or a "Lab mix." Shelters and rescues frequently label other types of dogs as lab mixes to help get them adopted. This can cause unknowing families to bring home dogs that they aren't ready for when they were expecting a Labrador.

Do you have a lovable Lab in your life? Tell me about him or her in the comments!

02/27/2023

How many times have you heard someone say, "oh, my dog is so jealous"?

Most people don't realize that a dog's "jealousy" is actually based in fear or the dog being territorial.

Most dogs don't like hugs, either!

It is a problem when we place human attributes and emotions onto dogs... why?

Because dogs aren't people!

They perceive things much differently, relate to other creatures in other ways, etc.

This is a GOOD thing. It's why we love them and create such a strong bond.

Our dogs don't judge us like other people do. As humans, we have such a unique opportunity to form relationships with these canines.

It can be a problem to anthropomorphize them...

Try to tune into their world and see life as a canine. It's fun!

What's a common "myth" about dogs that you've heard before? Tell me in the comments!

02/25/2023

I basically came out of the womb wanting to be a dog.

You might not be as strange as I am, but I am sure you love your canine friend just as much as I love mine!

My name is Chloe. I have fostered dozens upon dozens of dogs, trained them, trained my own dogs, and owned many breeds.

As a former teacher, I quit to stay home with my daughter. I then began running two successful online small businesses.

They were, however, not bringing me joy.

I am now pivoting to my "calling" to help dog owners like you understand and connect with your pups.

Follow me on this journey, I would love to have you!
**Plus you'll get lots of dog news and pictures on your feed 😄

Info on boarding and training coming in the next few months... my goal right now is focusing on education!