Empawthetic Dog Training

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Empawthetic Dog Training Certified Canine Behavior Consultant. Empathize Emotions. Enhance Behavior. Establish a Better Bond. https://empawtheticscheduling.as.me/

Client Win of the Week: Heidi! ❤️Heidi was groomed this week and did a fabulous job! 🥹This big ole Great Pyrenees mix is...
10/16/2026

Client Win of the Week: Heidi! ❤️

Heidi was groomed this week and did a fabulous job! 🥹

This big ole Great Pyrenees mix is up for adoption through Pawsitive Tails. She’s getting up in age and can be uncomfortable at times, so grooming can be physically difficult with all that standing - and a little scary, too.

Heidi had been struggling with being groomed, so we worked on making the process and tools way more fun and predictable. We even used a behavior she already liked offering, shake, to help get her nails done!

Sometimes a familiar, fun behavior can be a great starting point for something that feels a little harder.

Way to go, Heidi! Brave girl!

🚨 ONE spot left in Reactive to Relaxed!Does your dog bark, lunge, or struggle to focus when other dogs are around? We’ll...
10/14/2026

🚨 ONE spot left in Reactive to Relaxed!

Does your dog bark, lunge, or struggle to focus when other dogs are around? We’ll work on understanding their reactions, building engagement, and helping them feel more comfortable around their triggers with space, support, and positive reinforcement. ❤️

Starts THIS Saturday, October 17
10 AM
NAWS in Gladstone

Message Empawthetic Dog Training to snag the last spot or sign up here: https://empawtheticscheduling.as.me/?template=class

10/13/2026

Training Tip Tuesday ✨ Puppy biting!

Living with a puppy sometimes feels like living with a tiny land shark 😅 Your hands, clothes, and apparently your microphone are all fair game.

Give those teeth something appropriate to do! Keep toys nearby, redirect to something they CAN bite, and reinforce the behaviors you want more of.

Also, pay attention to when the biting ramps up. Do they need play, something to chew, or a nap? Sometimes we keep trying to wear them out when they actually need help winding down.

Puppy biting is normal, but that doesn’t mean you have to be their chew toy. They need guidance, appropriate outlets, and lots of patience.

10/12/2026

Behavior Science, Simplified ✨

You’ve probably heard of Pavlov and his dogs bur classical conditioning is SO much more useful in dog training than making dogs drool at the sound of a bell.

Classical conditioning is basically learning through association. One thing predicts another thing enough times that eventually, the first thing creates a response all on its own.

We can use this to teach a bridge/marker word like “yes!” Pair “yes!” with food over and over, and eventually your dog hears “yes!” and goes 👀 because that word now predicts something good.

But this same science is also a HUGE part of how I work with fear, reactivity, and aggression.

If seeing another dog currently predicts something scary, stressful, or uncomfortable, we can carefully work on changing that association. At an appropriate distance and intensity, the presence of that dog can start predicting something GOOD instead.

We aren’t just trying to stop the barking, lunging, or growling. We’re working on changing the emotion underneath the behavior. ❤️

Pavlov was actually pretty excited when he realized his dogs were learning these associations before the food even arrived and more than 100 years later, we’re still using that same basic learning process in behavior modification.

✨ Classical conditioning: changing your dogs feelings!

10/07/2026

Body Language Wednesday 🐾

Doby was DONE with being nipped in the face by Pickles 🤣 and instead of immediately escalating, he communicated.

Watch closely and you’ll see him:
• Snarl/show his teeth
• Lip lick
• Lightly push her away with his paw

Basically: “Hey. Knock it off.”

But my favorite part is what happens right after. Once Pickles backs off, Doby makes himself smaller, scoots closer to her, and invites calmer interaction. ❤️

He wasn’t trying to hurt her or start a fight. He was setting a boundary, Pickles listened, and then they were able to move on.

And that listening part is important.

Your other dog should respond when a dog says, “I need you to stop.” If they repeatedly ignore those signals, that’s when you need to step in and help create space. Otherwise, the dog communicating may feel like they need to get louder to be heard.

Some dogs are better communicators than others, and some are better listeners than others. Doby is fairly good at his job. ❤️

Growling, snarling, moving away, or pushing another dog away aren’t automatically “bad” behaviors. Sometimes they’re exactly what healthy dog-to-dog communication looks like.

Behavior Science, Simplified ✨“Why does my dog behave so much better for you?”Because I’m not you. Dogs don’t behave the...
10/06/2026

Behavior Science, Simplified ✨

“Why does my dog behave so much better for you?”

Because I’m not you.

Dogs don’t behave the same way with every person because behavior is influenced by reinforcement history, body language, environment, and context.

Your dog has YEARS of history with you.

Maybe they’ve learned that if they jump on you, you’ll eventually pet them. Maybe “come” actually means come after I call you six times. Maybe they know exactly which look will convince you to hand over a bite of your dinner. 🤣

Then I walk in.

I move differently. I communicate differently. My timing is different. And most importantly, your dog doesn’t have the same reinforcement history with me yet.

That doesn’t mean your dog “respects” me more, thinks I’m the “alpha,” or that you’re doing something wrong.

It just means different person + different history = different behavior.

And that’s exactly why a huge part of dog training is teaching YOU what I’m doing because I don’t need your dog to behave for me.

I need your dog to be successful with you!

Looking for a fun, supportive way to help your dog build skills around real-life distractions? Our October group classes...
10/03/2026

Looking for a fun, supportive way to help your dog build skills around real-life distractions? Our October group classes are officially open for enrollment!

💚 Reactive to Relaxed: Saturdays at 10 AM
For dogs who struggle with reactivity, big feelings, or specific triggers. We’ll focus on understanding your dog’s body language, navigating reactive moments, building focus and recovery skills, and increasing confidence.

💚 Surviving Adolescence: Saturdays at 11 AM
For dogs 6 months–2 years old. We’ll work on the skills that make living with a teenage dog easier, including loose-leash walking, recall, calm behavior, attention, and preventing unwanted behaviors.

- Both classes start October 17th
- 5-week course
- $250
- Gladstone, MO

Classes are kept small so you get personalized support while your dog learns to work around other dogs and distractions.

Send me a message or head to the website to reserve your spot!

www.empawtheticdogtraining.com

Client Win of the Week: Rusty! 🐾🚗Rusty’s owners are getting ready to take a vacation with their dogs in a few weeks, but...
10/02/2026

Client Win of the Week: Rusty! 🐾🚗

Rusty’s owners are getting ready to take a vacation with their dogs in a few weeks, but car rides have historically been a little chaotic for this guy. 😅 He’s usually all over the place, barking, and having a hard time settling down.

So, we’ve been working on teaching Rusty that the car can actually be a place to relax and look at him just a couple sessions later! 🥹 He chose to settle in the back of the car all on his own.

We still have two more sessions before their trip, but Rusty is well on his way to being vacation ready!

Sometimes the goal isn’t teaching your dog to do something, it’s teaching them that they don’t have to do anything at all.

10/01/2026

Tutorial Thursday ✨

Want your puppy to LOVE their kennel? Stop only putting them in there when you’re leaving!

One of the easiest ways to build a positive association with the kennel is to make going in and out a fun little game.

Toss a treat in ➡️ let them go get it ➡️ let them come right back out ➡️ repeat!

No shutting the door. No forcing them to stay. No “you went in, now you’re trapped.” 😂

We want them thinking, “Oh! Going in here makes good things happen!”

Once your puppy is happily choosing to go inside, THEN you can start adding tiny amounts of time with the door closed.

The kennel itself shouldn’t predict isolation.

09/30/2026

Body Language Wednesday!

There’s a new foster puppy at our house, and Doby is teaching her the ropes.

Doby is incredibly gentle with puppies - one way he gets Pickles to calm down is by putting his body weight on top of her so she can’t use her teeth on him. It does in fact force her to settle!

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