The domesticated Dog

04/09/2025

I am truly honored and excited to announce,

I have accepted a position as a board member for Freedom dogs , an incredible organization dedicated to providing service dogs to our wounded, sick,injured,and ill service members, and now veterans.

This cause is incredibly close to my heart, and I am deeply committed to supporting the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. Service dogs play a vital role in enhancing the lives of veterans and service members with physical and emotional challenges, and I am thrilled to be part of an organization that makes such a meaningful difference in the community but also as many of you know, in my life, personally as well.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members, the staff, and all those involved in the mission to continue making an impact on the lives of our heroes. Together, we can help provide the support and companionship our wounded service members deserve.
You can checkout all freedom difs is doing by visiting

https://www.freedomdogs.org

Let’s make a difference, one paw at a time!

12/26/2022

Looking for ways to start your dogs New Year off right?

Here are some recommendations we think can help.

1- Schedule a wellness exam to make sure vaccinations are up to date and your dog is in tip top shape.

2-Check your dogs everyday equipment.
Make sure the leashes are intact and clasps are working properly. Check all buckles on your dog’s harness as well as fit.
Make sure the collar fits and displays an up to date Identification tag.

3-Husbandry, making sure your dog’s nails are appropriate length; coat is combed out; teeth are brushed; ears are clean.
You can do this your self or take them to the groomer (check out fear free groomers).

4-Get enriched! Get creative and add more enrichment to your dog’s life.
Let them sniff, shred, scatter meals(tossing food in the lawn), snuffle mats, scent training.

5-start a training plan.
Join a group class or work with a trainer. Join groups, or make your own. Strengthen your relationship with your dog by teaching how to live successfully with you in this word we share.

Tell us in the comments how you plan to start your dog’s New Year off right!

Happy holidays,
Be an advocate, train humane.

11/18/2022

The domesticated dog
Behavior & Education Center,

Will officially open January 2023!🥳
I want to thank this community for all the love and support while away! This is truly a dream come true!

This 2500sq ft facility has allowed us to really take behavior modification to the next level with our in-patient program that focuses on the emotional and mental components of reactivity, not suppressing behaviors as traditional board and train do.

We also have a mock veterinarian clinic that allows us to practice better vet visits with reduced stress and a controlled environment.
The ability to practice in a controlled environment allows pet parents the ability to work through scenarios they may encounter and learn how to set up their dog for a successful vet visit.

Our training and education room allows for us to teach the public how to advocate for their dog and train humane!
We now also have the ability to host other Professionals and agencies who are working with dogs, as well as being in other professionals from around the globe!

We are excited for the new year and thank each and everyone of you for being here!

We are community!

Be an advocate, train humane.

02/10/2022

The domesticated dog
The unbalanced dog trainer.

Be an advocate, train humane

02/02/2022

Boarding visit

243 Likes, 10 Comments - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐠 () on Instagram: “This is havok. His pawrents are on vacation and he is being boarded while they are away. This is…”

02/01/2022

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐠 shared a post on Instagram: “I get DMs all the time from people who want to start a career in the dog industry. Some of the…” • Follow their account to see 244 posts.

10/25/2021

Why positive reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement training Builds a strong bond with your dog based on trust and respect. Through positive reinforcement training we are able to develop a humane way to communicate with our dog.
Positive reinforcement training gives our dogs the opportunity to earn reinforcement for doing behaviors we like and set them up for success.

Here is an excerpt from
The American veterinarian society of animal behavior (AVSAB) and the effectiveness of positive reinforcement.

“Reward-based training methods have been shown to be more effective than aver- sive methods. Multiple survey studies have shown higher obedience in dogs trained with reward based methods”.

If you have questions about positive reinforcement training you can reach out here in the DMs.

Be an advocate train humane.

10/13/2021

Above are five misconceptions that are commonly made about dogs, and below things we can learn about these misconceptions.

#1 The fully trained dog.

Dogs do not generalize like we do. Behaviors learned in a training facility are different from behaviors learned at home,the park, and other places.Our dogs may still make mistakes because we have not properly generalized or proofed the behavior.

#2 The guilty dog.

The guilty look is given by our dog as a response to our behavior. Dogs are trying to deescalate the situation, with the “guilty look”. If we are seeing the guilty look, we might want to examine our relationship with our dog and see where we can improve.

#3 The stubborn dog.

Dogs don’t choose to “disobey”,they are just doing their best with the information given to them. Many times what is deemed “stubborn” is really a lack of clarity,information, and/or training.Environmental factors can also contribute to a dog not performing tasks.
Next time you feel your dog may be acting “stubborn” ask yourself have you given your dog enough information to succeed and was it clear enough?

#4 The dominant dog.

An excerpt from Dominance and dog training-APDT(APDT resource center).

Dominance isn’t a personality trait.
Dominance is “primarily a descriptive term for relationships between pairs of individuals”. “the use of the expression ‘dominant dog’ is meaningless, since “dominance” can apply only to a relationship between individuals. (Bradshaw et al., 2009)

#5 The clean slate puppy.

Genetics, nutrition, and socialization are just a few things that impact your puppy before they come home.
The socialization period is a very critical period when our puppies learn the skills they will need to interact with the world. lack of socialization and interactions at sensitive periods can have an impact on who they will become.

What misconceptions have you heard?Let us know in the comments.

Be an advocate, train humane

10/11/2021

If you were not aware the sent out an email with updated to the policies we addressed here in the stories a little bit ago.
You can find the update in your email.

I would like to invite Executive Director Bradley Phifer to a LIVE here, to walk us through the process they went through and talk us through the updates to the policies so people know the process. As well as any other changes we may not be aware of.

Let me know what you think of the update in the comments.

09/29/2021

5 items I use when training my dog:

Before we start, I always check over my training plan, so I know what I am teaching and what criteria I will be reinforcing.

#1
A timer.
This can be on your phone, a watch, or a designated timer.

I use a timer to keep me on track and make sure my session doesn’t go on too long.
I keep it consistent. 3-5 minute sessions throughout the day can accomplish a lot.

#2
A marker.
I use a mechanical marker known as a clicker.
I use this because it’s consistent on every day that ends with Y😉

You can also use a verbal marker such as your voice.
I like to use a simple “yes”. It’s nice to have options if you don’t have a clicker handy.

For dogs with hearing loss you can use a flashlight or hand signal as a marker as well.

#3
A bait pouch (treat pouch).
I love using a treat pouch because it keeps my treats all on one place, and it allows me to keep my body language quiet because I am not fidgeting with the treats in my hand.

Treat pouches can also separate treats and can hold other items such as hand sanitizer, waste bags, phone, keys, or a collapsible water bowl to name a few.

#4
3-5 different types of treats.
I have 3 medium value treats for my session, then 2 higher value of treats. I use the higher value treats to finish my session strong, when I introduce a new behavior, or when my environment has changed.

#5
A target stick.
I love target sticks, especially with built in markers.
Target sticks can help us teach many great behaviors, such as touch.

I think everyone should have a target stick in their training bag!

Let me know some of your favorite items for training!

Be an advocate train humane.

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