ADK-Nine Behavior & Training

04/12/2026

Puppies and sleep: important recommendations—so you don’t make things harder for yourself!!
Thanks for writing this, Laura❤️

PUPPIES AND SLEEP

My foster pup is 15 weeks and at this age he still needs loads of sleep- probably at least 14-16h a day. This is also the age when puppies are totally sure they don’t need that much sleep and may try and power through without sleep or struggle to sleep if something more interesting is happening 😂

A lack of sleep in puppies of this age is a really common cause of behavioral issues- they can get exceptionally mouthy, over aroused and quite hard work if they are over tired.

I’m the least organised and routine-bound person on earth but I make an exception with puppies and ensure that we have a sleep routine and naps happen! I am so aware of how much nicer puppies are when then are well rested.

My current foster pup has only been with me a couple of days and he’s settled really well. I do ensure he sleeps well. If we have something planned- a visit to a garden centre or to see friends etc I would absolutely ensure he’s well rested. I also don’t want him to be too much for my tiny dog so I ensure he’s not overtired. Most puppies are a delight when they aren’t over tired or hungry

If he doesn’t think he needs a nap (but I know he does!) I can help him to feel snoozy by making sure he’s got a fully tummy, that he’s had a wee and a poo, that he’s had time to play and stretch his legs and he’s done some sniffy activity to help him wind down. I also give a long lasting chews to help pups settle and make sure the environment isn’t stimulating or too distracting. For this pup, he is better with background noise (radio on) but without us in the room moving around and disturbing him etc.

All puppies are individuals and some sleep better if they are right next to you and they need the physical contact.

A well rested puppy is a much nicer puppy to be around ❤️

04/12/2026

My puppy class meets today for their very first class.
THIS will be part of the first lesson!
Help dog owners know how to set their pups up for success, and you reduce behavior problems down the road 🙌

What does Oliver Twist have to do with dog training?

“Please sir… I want some more.” That famous line from Oliver Twist perfectly captures one of the biggest mistakes people make when they take their dog’s training into a new environment… they ask for more. More focus. More obedience. More performance. And they ask for it too soon.

The Fundamental Error

You’ve got a dog who works beautifully at home. Responsive. Engaged. Focused. So naturally, you take them somewhere new and expect the same thing. But instead? They disconnect. They ignore you. They won’t perform. And what do most people do? They ask for more. Push harder. Repeat cues. Add pressure. That “Oliver Twist” mindset — “more, please” — is exactly what causes dogs to lose confidence and disengage.

The Reality of New Environments

A new environment isn’t just a new place. It’s new smells you can’t even perceive, new sounds and movement, potential triggers like dogs, people, wildlife, and a completely different sensory load. To your dog, this is information overload. So before you ask for performance, you need to ask a far more important question: Can my dog even access reinforcement here?

Your First (and Most Important) Barometer

Forget obedience for a second. Instead, assess this: will your dog take food? Will they play with a toy? Not with distractions, not under pressure — just in the environment itself. Because if they can’t take reinforcement, they’re telling you one thing loud and clear: “I’m not comfortable enough yet.”

The Step Most People Skip

Before any training begins, let your dog acclimatise. Let them sniff, observe, and take in the environment. This is data collection for them. Depending on the dog, this might take a few minutes or longer. What you’re looking for is a shift — when the environment becomes less exciting, less overwhelming… almost a bit boring.

Then (and only then) Do You Engage

Once your dog has settled, present reinforcement with no behaviour required — will they take it? Then build engagement — can they play, can they take food from you? Then offer simple interaction — follow a lure, offer a behaviour, choose you. Only after this foundation is there do you begin to build anything resembling training.

Stop Testing. Start Building

The mistake isn’t that your dog won’t perform. The mistake is expecting performance before the dog is ready. When you test too early, you create a pattern: the dog struggles, confidence drops, engagement decreases. Over time, the dog learns that new environments equal pressure and failure. But when you flip the approach, the dog feels safe, chooses engagement, and builds confidence. That’s how you get a dog who can focus and perform anywhere.

Think Progression, Not Expectation

Training shouldn’t jump from living room to busy park. It should flow: living room → kitchen → bathroom → garden → front garden → quiet outdoor space → busier environments. Each step builds understanding and confidence. And at every stage, ask for less, not more.

Your dog isn’t disengaging because they’re stubborn. They’re disengaging because they’re overwhelmed, unclear, or not ready. So next time you go somewhere new, don’t be Oliver Twist. Don’t ask for more. Build first. Let the dog lead. Create success. And everything else will follow.—

04/11/2026

I understand your dog before I try to change their behavior. That is key to their wellbeing! 15 years of experience and education help me to translate what their body language is saying into words for their human to understand.
Have a dog with big feelings about something?
I can help!🐾❤️

There are still too many people calling themselves dog trainers and even behaviourists who don't even know basic dog stress signals and body language.

People charging for their services who don't even know which emotion is driving the behaviour they are wading in to change.

Professional dog trainers SHOULD understand the canine nervous system and the body language of regulation, positive emotional responses and negative ones!

And should WANT to understand these things!

It's 2026 >>>> We know enough now! There's enough evidence to tell us not to change behaviour in whichever way works for us, while ignoring how the dog feels.

Let's be better at this, not just some of us, all of us.

04/10/2026

Pet dogs have very few opportunities to do natural doggie activities—but these are super important for every dog’s wellbeing!
Making your garden dog-friendly can help meet your dog’s ethological needs🐾❤️🐾

04/09/2026

Emotional safety is foundational to learning. Work with me, and I can show you how to build safety!
Reach out if you’re curious ❤️

04/08/2026

Understanding your dog is the foundation of my work, and the reason I have so much success with dogs and have satisfied clients!
Yes, you can actually understand a *lot* about how your dog feels about things!
All you have to do is learn.
I can teach you!🧠❤️🐾🐶

Social Media Dog Advice ‘experts’ are a minefield for worried dog guardians.

It's so important to remember that dog training and behaviour isn't a regulated profession.

Just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true.

Just because they say they understand dogs, doesn’t mean they do.

Here’s the thing....

04/05/2026

Blake is 14 weeks old. He knows sit, down, and settle, among other skills. Today we visited a number of stores to practice polite greetings with strangers and polite waiting in line.
📷 Colvin and Blake at Kinney Drug pharmacy.

Puppies’ brains are ready to learn. Let’s teach them together!
I’m teaching a Puppy class in Newcomb in April. Message me here for details.

04/01/2026

Want to refine your training skills so you can teach your dog more effectively?
Read this post from Kamal Fernandez.
I can teach you these skills. Contact me for more info.

If you’re relying on food and toys to get your dog’s attention… you’re doing it wrong.

I’m Kamal Fernandez, a reinforcement-based dog trainer — and I’m telling you to stop using treats and toys as a crutch for your dog’s focus.

Now before that gets taken out of context, I’m not saying don’t use reinforcement. Quite the opposite. Reinforcement is essential. But there’s a big difference between using it strategically and depending on it to function at all.

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The Problem: When Reinforcement Becomes a Crutch

What I see all the time is this:

Handlers use food or toys as a lure — constantly visible, constantly present — to guide the dog through behaviours. But the problem is, they never properly fade that picture.

So what happens?
• The dog learns to work because the reward is visible, not because they understand the task
• The handler loses confidence the moment they don’t have food or toys in hand
• The dog disengages when those things disappear
• The handler panics… and brings them straight back out again

And just like that, you’ve created a cycle of dependency.

Your dog isn’t truly engaged with you.
They’re engaged with what you’re holding.

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What Real Engagement Should Look Like

True engagement means your dog:
• Chooses to work with you
• Understands the task without needing constant guidance
• Maintains focus even when reinforcement isn’t visible
• Trusts that reinforcement will come, without needing to see it first

That’s where the magic happens.

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5 Ways to Break the Dependency on Food & Toys

1. Be unpredictable with reinforcement delivery

If your dog always knows when and where the reward is coming, they’ll start keying into the pattern rather than the work.

Mix it up:
• Sometimes reward quickly, sometimes delay slightly
• Sometimes reward big, sometimes small
• Keep them guessing (in a good way)

Unpredictability builds commitment and resilience.

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2. Don’t always reward from the same place

Even if you’re holding food or a toy, avoid always delivering it from that same hand.

Instead:
• Deliver from your pocket
• Toss the reward
• Place it on the ground
• Use a second hidden source

This stops your dog from fixating on your hand and helps them focus on you instead.

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3. Teach a remote reinforcement marker

Teach a term like “bingo” which clearly tells your dog they’ve done it correctly and that reinforcement is coming from a second location.

You can start this really simply when they’re very young — marking the behaviour and then delivering the reward away from your body or from somewhere unexpected. Over time, this becomes interwoven into your training.

The benefit is huge: your dog stops depending on reinforcement always being on you, and instead learns to trust the process.

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4. Build engagement based on relationship, not just reinforcement

Engagement shouldn’t come solely from food or toys — it should come from the relationship you have with your dog.

People often forget that when they deliver reinforcement, it’s an opportunity to interact:
• Physically touch your dog
• Praise them
• Let them come into you, jump up, or celebrate with you
• Make the moment feel like a shared experience

This shifts the reward away from being just about the food or toy, and makes it about you.

This is critical. Your relationship should sit at the centre of your reinforcement process — not just what you’re holding.

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5. Shape behaviours — don’t lure them

Luring is quick, but it often creates a superficial level of understanding.

The lure creates the behaviour — but as soon as the lure (or prompt) isn’t there, the behaviour disappears.

And remember, a lure isn’t always just food in your hand. It can be:
• Food or toys on your person
• The dog knowing you have reinforcement available
• Any visible or predictable prompt

This becomes a fundamental issue when you move toward competition, where those things aren’t part of the picture.

Shaping, on the other hand:
• Builds problem-solving
• Increases confidence
• Creates stronger, more reliable behaviours

It teaches the dog what to do, not just what to follow.

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Final Thought

Food and toys are powerful tools — but they should support your training, not define it.

If your dog only works when they see the reward, you don’t have engagement — you have a transaction.

The goal is a dog that works with you, not just for what’s in your hand.

That’s where real training begins.

03/31/2026

When socializing your new puppy, the *quality* of the interaction is more important than the *quantity*!
Make sure the experience is positive, not frightening or overwhelming!
Not sure how to tell the difference?
Contact me! I can help!

03/29/2026

Introducing a puppy into your family does not come with guarantees.
Will your current (possibly senior) dog accept the puppy?
I can set you—and your dogs—up for success! Message me if you’re curious about working with me🐾😁
📷 Colvin (3 1/2 years old) and Blake (12 weeks old) ❤️🐾❤️

03/28/2026

Got a puppy?
Do you dream of having a dog who is a joyful partner in your life—but not quite sure how to get there?
I’m teaching a Puppy class 🐾 in April in Newcomb.
Contact me here for details🐶