Rowan's Dog Training

06/19/2026

𝟯 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗜 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 (𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲)

1.”Meat and bone meal” - or anything with a non-precise label like “poultry” too. I need to know precisely what is in the food, and if they aren’t sure enough to label it… that scares me.

2.Wheat- dogs aren’t designed to be able to digest grains at all. It makes no sense to feed them wheat… unless you need to fill them up with something cheap and shelf stable.

3.Corn- for the same reasons as above

I’ve become nutrition obsessed, reading books, articles by experts, taking classes and all the studies are clear. And despite being clearly stated in veterinary textbooks that “Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates” they continue to be the BULK of what makes up their food.

This imbalance is believed by most nutrition experts to be at the root of many canine health problems and many see health improvements when switching to a mostly meat diet.

Next week I’ll share what I actually do look for in foods and treats for my dogs.

talk soon!

xx
Rowan

06/18/2026

Real Talk:
What's your Least Favorite thing about your dog?

06/16/2026

𝗗𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄… 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁?

In the summer when it is hot, how do you know it’s too hot to walk your dog?

Watch them for signs they are hot, panting, avoiding going outside, sure…

And there is also an easy test.

Go out to the sidewalk or wherever you walk your dog.

Now put the back of your hand on the pavement.

Count to 5.

If you can keep your hand there for 5 seconds, it’s 𝗻𝗼𝘁 too hot for your dog.

If you can’t, don’t make your pup put their paws on that surface.

Find some grass or come back later, when the sun goes down or there is more shade.

And maybe try and walk earlier tomorrow.

I hope this was helpful!

Follow me so you don’t miss any tips and let me know if you need help teaching your dog to behave like a polite family member.

06/15/2026

It happened so fast.

The kids were laughing.

Running through the living room playing with the new puppy.

And then suddenly—crying.

The puppy jumped, nipped, and latched onto the 7 year olds pant leg… scratching his leg and tripping him so he fell hard.

Now the excitement in the house feels different.

Because what was supposed to be a fun, loving family dog suddenly feels unpredictable.

And as a parent, that fear hits deep.

You start watching every interaction closely.

Telling the kids,
“Don’t run.”
“Don’t wave toys around.”
“Don’t get too close when he’s excited.”

The stress starts replacing the joy.

Your kids are confused because they love the puppy.

But they’re also starting to feel nervous around him.

And you feel trapped in the middle trying to protect everyone while hoping this is “just a phase.”

Here’s what most families don’t realize:

Puppies often play too rough because they’ve never been taught HOW to be calm around children.

To them, fast movement, squealing, waving arms, and running look like an exciting game.

Without proper guidance, that excitement quickly turns into biting, jumping, chasing, and chaos.

But it does 𝗡𝗢𝗧 have to stay this way.

I help families teach puppies how to behave calmly and safely around kids — so your home can feel peaceful again instead of stressful.

Because your children deserve to feel confident around your dog… and your puppy deserves clear guidance before these habits get worse.

If your puppy is biting, playing too rough, or overwhelming your kids… send me a message. 🐾

The earlier you address it, the easier it is to create the family dog you originally dreamed of.

06/14/2026

06/12/2026

𝟮 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀
(𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀)

1️⃣Artificial colors - dogs don’t care! And with all the new studies linking colors to health problems I DEFINITELY don’t want them in anything I feed my dogs.

2️⃣Artificial Preservatives: BHA / BHT and Ethoxyquin all have been linked to health problems and I simply won’t buy anything that contains them

After that, we move from “absolute no’s” into “low quality” ingredients I avoid. Next week I’ll share those 🙂

Talk soon!

xx

Rowan

06/11/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗺𝘀 (𝗶𝗻 𝟰 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀)

Many dogs are not okay with letting you trim their nails. Maybe they have been hurt in the past, Maybe they have painful joints, maybe they are just generally not comfortable with being handled.

Follow this simple process and your dog will soon be a willing participant.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, make sure your dog is comfortable being handled. Figure out the most comfortable way for you to hold them or for them to lay while you trim their nails. Get them used to being in that position. Also get them used to having their feet touched and toes played with. If you can’t do these things, you won’t have a pleasant experience. Practice a few times a day for 5-10 minutes. Use food to make it memorable.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, Educate yourself. Learn, practice and take baby steps to boost your confidence. Look up videos, have bright lighting.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱, Get the tools you need, and introduce them slowly. I personally use scissor style clippers and a grinder. Add them into your handling practice by touching them to your dogs legs/feet and pretending to use them.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵, Start Trimming! There is no law that says you have to trim all of your dog’s nails in one day :-) Clip one at a time, giving a treat after each. If your dog stays calm, you may continue.

If you’d like support in helping get your dog comfortable with grooming, or improving their behavior in any way, I’d be happy to chat and see if I can help you.