Canine Coevolution Dog Training

02/13/2024

02/13/2024

02/08/2024

The most important thing you can do for your dog is NOT what you think it is.

This is Charlie. Charlie came to me at just 9 weeks old, naturally a bit fearful of nearly anyone and anything outside of her home.

I insisted to her parents, especially given that we were still in her critical period, that we prioritize socialization for her, and they very much agreed.

Unfortunately, many dog owners don’t understand the importance of socialization, and worse, the majority do not understand what we really mean by “socialization.”

Socialization is not just about letting your dog meet other dogs, or even meet people. It’s about exposing them to all kinds of various sights, smells, noises and environments that they might encounter throughout their lives. The key to socialization is making these experiences as comprehensive and positive as possible.

Here’s what we did (and more importantly did NOT do) to help Charlie gain more confidence.

❌ We did NOT take Charlie to a big group of dogs (eg dog park, daycare or puppy classes).
❌ We did NOT allow strange dogs to greet Charlie on walks.
❌ We did NOT allow people to approach and pet her when she was fearful.

✅ We DID give Charlie lots of yummy treats when she saw new people, dogs, cats, or heard loud sounds.
✅ We DID gradually increase the intensity of our training environments according to what Charlie could handle.
✅ We DID allow Charlie to interact with dogs and people in controlled environments once SHE was confident and interested.

01/30/2024

Meet Stella! Her mom adopted her this week after she was rescued from a puppy mill ❤️

There are many factors to consider when helping puppy mill rescues - lack of socialization that leads to fear of people and even everyday sounds, sights and circumstances, a high risk of flight behavior (ie running away), fear of confinement, resource guarding, potential physical issues and limitations and more.

Luckily, Stella and her mom are doing a fabulous job adapting to their new lives, and I am confident Stella will be showing us a whole new side of her personality very soon!

Grateful to be helping these lovely ladies. Follow along with me and for more on Stella’s journey!

01/28/2024

Sister, sister 👯‍♀️

I trained Charlie’s older (half) sister back when she was a pup and now have the pleasure of tandem training them all the obedience!