LilyPup Dog Training

10/17/2026

♥️🐾

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4

10/10/2026

There’s something so rewarding about watching dogs feel happy, confident, and completely carefree. Seeing them just be dogs, playing, exploring, and enjoying themselves, will never get old for me. ❤️🐾

10/07/2026

Dogs are unfairly photogenic. I’m mostly just there to operate the equipment. 📸🐾

10/07/2026

Dogs are unfairly photogenic. I’m mostly just there to operate the equipment. 📸🐾

10/03/2026

Hank’s guardian dog street cred took a devastating hit with this photo. Reputation in absolute shambles. 🤣🐾♥️

09/09/2026

Such a good explanation of socialization. I almost prefer using exposure because of how easily the “social” in socialization gets us turned around.

WHAT IS SOCIALISATION?
It’s not about having a dog that is “sociable”.

It’s not surprising that socialisation in dogs is so often misunderstood.

The human understanding of socialisation is about actively seeking out interaction, being friendly, outgoing, communicating with, and forming relationships with other people or groups.

It’s natural for people to assume that socialising a dog means creating a dog that wants to meet and play with every other dog and say hello to everyone.

Socialisation in dog terms is not the same as being social.

Socialisation is not about the quantity of exposure. Simply experiencing something or being exposed to it, doesn't mean that dogs learn to feel comfortable with it.

A well socialised dog isn’t the one that seeks out social interaction — it’s the one that doesn’t feel the need to.

The quality of the experience, the emotional response, is what matters.

It’s about carefully building emotional safety, with all the things that dogs may encounter throughout their lives – other animals, different types of people, children, bicycles, skateboards, cars, trucks etc, different sounds, places, surfaces, environments, vet visits, grooming, handling etc.

It’s about dogs learning how to cope with the strange, the unfamiliar, the unknown or the unexpected - at the appropriate developmental stage.

Timing is so important in socialisation. Puppies have a limited developmental window where they are particularly open to new experiences, forming positive associations and learning what is safe.

Here is a link to a useful puppy socialization checklist from The Pet Professional Guild –
https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/resource/puppy-socialization-checklist

09/04/2026

It’s never easy to realize our best friends may be in pain, but when we truly listen to what they’re telling us and see what’s in front of us, we give them the chance to live a more comfortable, fulfilling life. ♥️🐾

When behavior change happens, people will readily give you theories about why.

He's stubborn.
She's testing you.
It's adolescence.
They don't respect you.
You're spoiling them.

All of this falls on the dog's failing - without looking further.

There is always a underlying reason for behavior change.

Mills and colleagues (2020) reviewed 100 dog caseloads. A conservative estimate: around a third involved some form of painful condition. In some caseloads, closer to 80%.

Camps and colleagues (2019) put it plainly:

📢 The most common sign of pain in animals is a change in behavior.

Often, by the time you really start to notice limping, yelping etc, they've already been coping for a long time.

So the thing you dismissed as "too small" might be the big thing.

The dog who used to love being brushed and now moves away. The pause at the bottom of the stairs. The shorter fuse on a walk you've done a thousand times. The new sleeping spot.

Always trust your gut when it comes to how you feel about your dog's behavior.

A 'normal' physical exam doesn't mean there is nothing present.

Dogs are stoic rarely showing signs of pain and discomfort, especially in stressful environments like the vet.

Mills and colleagues recommend erring on the side of caution when pain is suspected, and evaluating how the dog responds to a trial of pain relief even when nothing has been found on exam.

Change one thing. Give it real time. Watch what the behavior does.

Yes, your dog isn't giving you a hard time - but they very well might communicate that they are having one.

Follow Renee Rhoades, MSc | Your Dog Behaviorist for evidence-based tips and more on this subject!

Research cited:

Research via PubMed: Mills et al. (2020), Animals
Camps et al. (2019), Animals

08/13/2026

Great way to explain how you create a dog with no tells. ♥️🐾

08/10/2026

Great exercise to do especially for Georgia!