Day of the Dog Training

04/09/2026

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04/06/2026

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Dogs don’t lose control during zoomies. They’re rapidly discharging built-up energy in a short, intense burst.

Here’s how it actually works.

After periods of restraint like waiting, training, or staying indoors, stimulation accumulates in the nervous system. Once it crosses a threshold, the body releases it all at once, triggering sudden sprints, sharp turns, and looping runs with no pause in between.

This behavior, known as frenetic random activity periods, often appears in younger dogs or after events that spike arousal, such as baths, play, or brief stress. It is a collision of excitement and relief, compressed into seconds.

The movement looks chaotic, but it is efficient. Rapid acceleration and tight pivots burn energy quickly while engaging coordination and muscle control in a compact window.

In some cases, it also signals a shift in emotional state, where tension gives way to safety almost instantly.

What looks like wild energy is a precise reset.

It is the body restoring balance at full speed.

06/10/2025

This is spot on.

It’s really important to understand that dogs don’t NEED training. They can dog perfectly fine. The only reason we created training - and all the capacities it’s used in - was to meet OUR needs.

Dogs can dog just fine, in fact, it’s usually when they can’t dog properly or enough that they display behaviors that we don’t like or label as “bad”. When we expect them to not dog in environments that are primarily designed for us to human. All our human spaces are usually aesthetically designed and created to meet our needs - then when we bring another species into them - we view their difficulties adapting as THEIR problem that needs to be fixed. Not ours.

Now before you all angry mob me, yes, of course dogs having skills is important, but mainly because it truly helps bridge the gap between human and canine and helps our dogs exist in our weird little world. They often look at us with such puzzled expressions, and I dont blame them one bit. They don’t NEED to know how to do a perfect down stay, but they learn and do it for us because they are truly the most devoted creatures on the planet. All the strange things we ask - like walk on this rope and drop things that you find and for gods sake be friendly but not too friendly and protect me when I need it but also stop barking when I say!

Which is why I am so adamant about teaching and communicating with dogs in a way that they enjoy. In a way that strengthens the relationship and encourages learning on BOTH ends of the leash. Having a dog is a privilege, and we should live and work with them as such.

- Helen St. Pierre

03/02/2025

We used to think that putting our hands in the food bowl was a way to test and work with food aggressive dogs. We now know better.

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There are some great ways to prevent food aggression, but messing with, taking or putting your hand in your dogs food is not one of them.

The more we mess with our dogs stuff, the more likely they are to become defensive around it. Just like we might!

11/10/2024

Great advice. Toss these out asap.

Please do not buy. Throw them away if your dog gets one as a gift. Giving rawhide to a dog is never a good idea.

Many of these so called treats end up with the dog "enjoying" some time in a veterinary surgery over Christmas. The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China.

The chews are made from cattle or horse hides and their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulfide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell.

Now comes the pretty festive colors and the glue to form cute shapes. On testing, these chews have shown traces of arsenic, mercury, chromium and formaldehyde.

If that wasn't bad enough, they regularly cause intestinal blockages, poisoning from chemical residue and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog.

09/26/2024

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08/08/2024

Well stated. I agree with everything except the barriers to adoption which I don't think makes any difference. I've seen dogs in shelters that people paid lots of money for and gave up on and I've seen homeless people who take better care of their animals than the wealthiest adopter. Otherwise, SPOT ON!! Heartsticks and gas chamber killing should be illegal.. When I worked in the Lake County shelter, that was one of the first things I changed. No heartstick euthanasias and no animal would be euthanatized on the cold wet concrete floor of their kennel. Speak up people. It's time for change at Polk County Animal Control.

NOTE FROM TED: This talk contains a graphic description of animal abuse. This talk only represents the speaker’s personal views and understanding. TEDx event...

07/21/2024

Shared by my friend Debbie Thomas. Faults and imperfections, just like people.

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