Creature Comforts Pet Services

02/11/2026

02/08/2026

Hi there dog owner!

Want advice from a professional trainer on how to get your dog more comfortable with being handled and have more positive vet visits? This virtual discussion is for you! You can learn from the comfort of your home.

visit: https://CreatureComfortsPetServices.as.me/virtual-learning

02/07/2026

Upcoming group classes through Winona Community Education starting as early as February 22nd!

visit: https://winonaschools.arux.app/courses/category/27/adult-enrichment%E2%80%941/pet-wildlife%E2%80%942

02/04/2026

~STARTING IN FEBRUARY~

*Group Class (5 weeks):
There is a Sunday class starting the 22nd at 3:30pm

*Individual Help:
Next available is on Sunday the 15th at 2:00pm

For more information & options visit: ccpsmn.com/training-classes

01/26/2026

Aggressive behavior does not equal dominance.

Aggression is a behavior that can occur in response to stress, fear, a perceived threat, or something unpleasant for the learner.

Just because your pet responds aggressively in a situation doesn't mean that they are "dominant" or that they're dominating you or another animal.

There are many different reasons we can see aggressive behavior, such as:
▪ Fear-based aggression
▪ Territorial aggression
▪ Possessive aggression
▪ Redirected aggression
▪ Conflict-related aggression

Talking about what dominance is or isn't is a complicated topic for another day😉
HOWEVER, we need to realize that just because our pets do something undesirable, it doesn't mean they're trying to dominate us.

01/16/2026

There’s a lot of advice on Google and social media, and while some of it seems to make sense, it can be incorrect information that is leading you in the wrong direction down your well-intended path. 🛑

It breaks my heart when a puppy client comes to me and their puppy is growling at them (and maybe even biting) because they were told to fiddle with their puppy by patting them, playing with their ears, sticking their hands in and out of their puppy’s food bowl, to take their puppy’s food away & give it back, and other “things” that are supposed to acclimate your puppy to be harassed while eating. 😟

For a human example, let’s say you’re enjoying a nice plate of food, but someone keeps coming by, sticking their hands in your plate, and taking your food away. How long are you going to tolerate that before you finally lash out and tell the person to stop? What if someone reached in your mouth to take away something you were enjoying? This would be annoying, and you would wonder what the heck was going on. 🍽️

Imagine someone kept doing these things to you. Eventually, you would see someone coming and say “oh great, here they come again.” At what point will you take a stand and tell the person to back off? 🚫😠

This is what your puppy is doing. You mean well, and your reason for wanting to do these things is valid. There is a way to show your puppy that being around them while they are eating and giving up their important items is fun and non-threatening. 🐾✨

01/16/2026

What is "behavior suppression"?

When an animal is constantly punished for or stopped from performing behaviors, especially normal behaviors, behavioral suppression often occurs.
This is commonly mistaken for acceptance of the situation, but is actually learned helplessness or the animal 'shutting down'. While it is important that our pets learn healthy boundaries, we must also allow them agency in their daily lives.

Pets are not robots, and we should never expect them to live as such. We, humans, aren't robots either, and we rarely hold ourselves to as rigid expectations, so why does that make it okay to expect perfection from our pets?

This year, let's work on understanding our pets better, giving them choices, and strengthening our relationship 💙

12/17/2025

🐶 Do your research before buying a puppy.

👉🏻 Not all breeders are created equal. t's important to do your homework. At this time, it would be really hard to find a reputable breeder that had gads of puppies for sale. Reputable breeders breed for health and temperament and often have a waiting list for their magnificent puppies. Reputable breeders are not breeding to have a stock of puppies to sell for the holidays. 🐶 🐾

‼️ Reputable breeders do NOT send their puppies to a pet store. These puppies are from puppy mills and come from horrific situations. Some pet stores will tell you their puppies come from breeders, if they do, they are not being truthful with you 🚫. It doesn’t matter how convincing they sound- it’s not true.

I've known many people over the years who purchased their puppy from a "breeder" at the age of 6 or 7 weeks. A reputable breeder will not allow puppies to go to their new homes before the age of 8 weeks. ❗️Part of a puppy’s critical period is during the time they are with mom and their littermates. ❗️Taking them away before 8 weeks can hinder this critical social period.

🚨 Side note: many states have laws where you are not allowed to sell puppies before 8 weeks old. 🐾 n

12/17/2025

In a time when many dog trainers shy away from taking a clear stand against aversive methods, ’s message is bold and unambiguous:

Either you are okay using pain, fear, and discomfort in dog training, or you are not.

For Victoria, the answer is a firm “No.” And that is based on modern ethics and evidence.

Her stance is straightforward: no dog, not even “extreme” cases, should be coerced into compliance through fear or pain when positive, force-free methods are proven to be more humane and effective.

Victoria’s words are a call to action. It’s time for the dog training community to reject outdated practices and speak out against those professionals in the industry who still defend and promote them to a vulnerable public.

Read the full post from Victoria at the link in my bio 🔥

11/11/2025

So many of the things that people consider 'behaviour problems' in dogs are in fact perfectly normal and instinctive canine behaviours that stretch back over their evolution. The problem is that these behaviours can be inconvenient and potentially problematic in human homes.

Understanding dogs, where they came from and the traits that were vital to their survival in the past, lets us see that we need to provide ways for our dogs to carry out these behaviours. It is a vital part of ensuring their welfare and mentioned in the Five Freedoms - the freedom to express natural behaviour.

Of course we don't want them chewing the furniture, shredding the cushions, digging up the flowerbeds etc. The key is to find ways to let them carry out these behaviours that both they and we find appropriate and acceptable.

A child's sandpit filled with dirt or sand makes a great digging spot, and you can hide things in there for them to find. Alternatively, select a specific spot in the garden and direct the dog there if you find them digging elsewhere.

Make sure they have plenty of appropriate chewing material and redirect them to a chew if they start nibbling on the sofa or the chair leg.

Provide soft toys to be eviscerated to save the cushions. The great thing with soft toys is that you can restuff them and sew them up - often several times before they are beyond repair. Charity shops can also be good sources of budget friendly soft toys for this purpose (always making sure they are safe with no bits the dog may swallow).

Shredding dogs often also love cardboard. Use the household recycling to fill a cardboard box with things like egg boxes, other pieces of cardboard, packing paper and so on, anything that is dog safe. Scatter their food or some treats through the box contents and let them hunt the food out and then have a great time shredding the box and contents. Yes there is a little clearing up that needs to be done, but it saves the furniture or other items from destruction.

With a little imagination it's simple to come up with ways to fulfil these natural drives and your dog will definitely thank you for it. 💛

11/07/2025

Ready to learn online with me? 🤓

🌐 To sign up for these, or any other VIRTUAL class/lecture visit: ccpsmn.com/virtual-learning

See you there! 🐾