Pup & Co Muskegon

06/03/2026

Team Truman making lots of progress!!

06/03/2026

Here’s How ⤵️

🫯You’re not fighting the dog & the dog doesn’t have to fight themselves when you help them regulate their nervous system!

🌟encourage them to get focused on helpful parts of the environment. Not me to start!

✔️Get them Sniffing & moving ( both are good for the brain & body)

⚓️I look for environmental Anchors and move from one to the next OR follow a grass line, wall or fence.

⬆️ Up right objects or natural features ( walls, lampposts, trees, fences, trash cans)
Anything that might hold interesting scents & provide some structure.

I let them explore & move freely for a few minutes, then I start to ask for more structure AND I release them to sniff & explore through out the walk!

💪The sniff & go game, let’s go, the name game & find it create a strong but flexible training structure!

🙋‍♀️ Comment ( walks) for the games we play

06/02/2026

♥️🐾

🍽️🐾 DREAMING OF TAKING YOUR DOG TO RESTAURANTS, PATIOS & PUBLIC EVENTS?
Join us for a fun, one-night-only Restaurant Etiquette Class and learn the skills that help dogs become calm, confident dining companions! 🌟
✅ Learn what behaviors to practice before heading out in public
✅ Try real-life practice exercises during class
✅ Build impulse control and focus around distractions
✅ Go home knowing exactly what to continue working on with your dog
Whether your goal is coffee shops, breweries, outdoor dining, or just a more relaxed dog in busy places — this class is for you! 🐶☀️
📍 Fremont Community Recreation Authority
📅 June 16th
⏰ 6 PM
Spots are limited — come practice, laugh, learn, and build confidence together! 💛🐾
Reserve your spot here : https://pci.jotform.com/form/260977342106155

05/31/2026

Never underestimate the power of Small shifts in daily life. If your pup is struggling with something, ask yourself what the small change is that would make the most difference, and then do it :)

Examples:

- Ask your dog to sit when they approach. Before they jump on you,

-Having your pup in their crate or on a drag line during busy times in the home when they are likely to practice unwanted behaviors.

- Feed animals in separate areas.

- Walk during less busy times of the day if possible

- Use an 8ft leash instead of a 4 or 6ft.

- Spend time letting them sniff and explore or move more freely. Before you ask for structure.

- Using a baby gate or closing doors to block access to things they might be tempted to get into like; Litter box areas, bathroom trash or kids' playrooms.

- Put a trash can in a closet or use a locking lid

- Play fetch with them or go for a walk before guests arrive.

- Leave training treats in a place where you can easily reach them ( but your dog cannot lol)

- Prepare any food puzzle toys and freeze ahead of time.

- Use opaque window film, close blinds or curtains on windows your pup barks out of.

- Privacy screens on shared fencelines or road-facing fences for reactive pups.

05/30/2026

🥺😳😱

Your dog may enjoy barking at your mail carrier from inside your home, but an unrestrained dog is of much greater concern to the U.S. Postal Service. There were more than 5,200 dog attacks among its employees last year, they said.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/over-5200-dog-attacks-among-postal-workers-recorded-in-2025-the-cities-with-the-most-incidents/

05/30/2026

This is spot on! I have had this happen before, but I ended up with a black eye and a couple tooth scratches on my cheek.

NO FACES NEAR FACES..
I say this lots as I work with families that need help getting their dog used to children in the household. I give this advice as it can prevent bite incidents.

Dogs often don’t like faces right near theirs as it’s not how they communicate and they can find it confrontational and quite intimidating. Also, if we are going to have an incident and a dog snaps, the last thing we want is a bite to the face 😢

To avoid bite incidents children’s faces should NEVER be near a dogs face- no lying down on the sofa with heads together, no leaning over the dog to kiss them, no toddlers popping up to face height of a dog on a sofa, no toddlers crawling towards dogs on dog beds etc.

If a dog gets worried and tries to use distance increasing behavior- a growl, or even an air snap to ask the child to move away, it’s a huge worry of faces are anywhere near the dogs face. It’s a totally avoidable source of risk.

It’s also good advice for adults too! This photo is just a tiny amount of the blood that came out of my head two years ago as I had an accidental injury from my northern inuit.

I feel asleep with my head on her chest (as I often do, completely ignoring my own advice 😳), as she’s really cuddly and likes it. She woke up and did a huge open mouthed sneeze (she’s quite a dramatic sneezer)… and a canine tooth went into the top of my head. She has humongous canines and it caused a wound in my scalp that poured and poured with blood. My house looked like a crime scene.

Totally accidental, it was just a sneeze, but it could have been even worse. Hurt my head (lots) and also hurt her tooth but it could have been my face. It’s made me really remind my kids not to put their faces right next to the dogs (and my dogs LOVE my kids).

We also model for our kids with our own behaviour and it’s no good us telling out kids not to put their head on the dog if we are doing it ourselves!

So really- NO faces near faces and NO faces exceptions (even for me and I’m trying hard to stick to it!)

I also still startle every time Sylvi sneezes and that’s two years later!

Laura McAuliffe 2026 Dog Communication

05/30/2026

♥️🐾

05/30/2026

Great local classes!