Spry Dog

10/05/2026

☠️ Is your pup ready for Halloween? Decorations and people in costumes are SPOOKY. Now’s the time to practice fun lessons - with lots of treats! BOO! 🎃👻

10/01/2026

Great advice!

You have that distance, and it doesn't help.😮‍💨
This is one of those things that can drive people nuts.
You've moved further away.
You've created space.
And still, your dog is struggling.

Because there’s something I think we overlook far too often.

What are we asking a dog to do once we get there?
Standing twenty metres away and moving past something is very different from standing twenty metres away and watching it for five minutes.

Moving is very different from sitting still.
And some dogs need that movement, even at that distance.

Trickier still?
Some like to sit.
They're perfectly happy to naturally sit, observe and process what's happening.
What can become an issue is insisting on that sit when it's not helping that particular dog.

And again, this is where nuance and individuality come in.

There’s lots of advice out there.
A ton of it.
But that doesn't mean every bit of good advice is good advice for your dog, in that moment.

Distance is great.
But sometimes we keep adding metres when what actually needs changing is what happens within those metres.

Can they move?
Process?
Can they look and move on?
How long are they expected to stay?
Are we asking them to hold a position they'd rather leave?

Because sometimes progress isn't hiding another ten metres further back.
It's lurking in what we're asking them to do at that distance.

09/16/2026

So much confusion about crating. Here’s top notch advice

The crate “solved” it.
The chewing stopped.
The jumping too.
That relentless pacing?
Gone.

They're not following you around.
Stopped getting into everything they shouldn't.
It's a very tempting “solution”.

But hang on a minute.
Behaviour stopping because a door is closed?
It's not the same thing as stopping the behaviour.
Similar.
But certainly not the same.

And I think we've gone beyond the old “how long is too long?” conversation around crates.
Because for some dogs, we're drifting into something else entirely.

Containment being mistaken for training.

Many times, that's just management.
Not training.

But the two shouldn't be confused here.

Management has a place.
A very important one.
Sometimes we absolutely need to prevent a dog rehearsing something while we work on what's driving this.
And we need a puppy somewhere safe because our eyes simply cannot be on them every second of the day.
Best of all?
A dog genuinely loves their crate and happily disappears in there for a snooze.

Great.

But none of that means shutting the door has taught the behaviour we wanted outside of it.
The puppy who can't chew the furniture from inside a crate hasn't necessarily learned what they can chew.
A dog who can't pace around the house hasn't learned how to settle.
And a dog who isn't jumping at visitors because they're confined hasn't necessarily learned what to do when visitors arrive.

That's completely different.

Crate training?
That's another aspect of this altogether.
A dog being gradually conditioned to feel safe and comfortable in a crate is a valuable skill.
Being able to shut the door isn't the goal.
Having a dog who can genuinely relax in their own little area? Brilliant.

But yes.
Crates can be misused.
They are misused.

Particularly when we're looking for a quick solution to behaviour that actually needs teaching, investigation or change somewhere else.

Because if the only thing preventing the behaviour is a closed crate door?
The crate didn't solve it.
The crate contained it.

07/27/2026

Twins? ❤️

07/22/2026

There are so many reasons dogs wear muzzles - do any surprise you?

Reason 8: Give fearful dogs space from strangers

"I would never"
The reality is, one day you might need to.

And perhaps not for the reasons you think.

We all have biases.

When you think of a muzzle, does your mind immediately jump to the more “obvious” reason someone may use one?

But what about the dog who can finally enjoy the beach because they can no longer eat mouthfuls of sand?

Or the dog who loves investigating under bushes where native birds are nesting?

What about a dog recovering from surgery or an injury?

Perhaps a veterinarian has recommended muzzle training so future examinations can be less stressful for everyone.

A muzzle is often a thoughtful, responsible management tool.

Sometimes it protects wildlife.
And sometimes it protects healing.

Many times, it gives a dog more freedom.
Not less.

07/21/2026

Great advice for dog owners - and their kids!

QUICK TIP: Most people, unless they've been properly instructed by a knowledgeable trainer, go about this backwards. I'm speaking of preventing resource guarding.

Healthy puppies don't normally guard resources. Puppies that do warrant a professional behavioral assessment.

Many people, misled by the outdated belief that dogs are "pack animals" who need a "pack leader" attempt to train their dogs to defer to their handling and removal of their dog's food.

Dogs aren't "pack animals" and they don't have or need a "pack leader. Just because something is on television, or even published in a book, doesn't make it true.

What dogs need is a human guardian who understands dog behavior and behavior modification.

What we should be aiming to teach puppies is not to respect our fictitious position of "pack leader" but rather, to accept us being near them when they are eating.

We do this through classical conditioning, aka associative learning. By pairing something positive with our presence, namely yummy food treats, puppies can learn to feel comfortable with our proximity to them while they're eating.

We don't need to put our hand in their dish or pet them while they're eating. That's intrusive and threatening.

All we need to do is add some yummy treats to our puppy's bowl while he is eating and then leave him alone. That's it.

The goal should be to teach your puppy to accept your nearness or the nearness of someone else while he's eating, not to show him who controls the food bowl.

He knows you do, and by placing your hand in your puppy's bowl or taking it away from him, you're actually teaching your puppy to be more possessive of his food and less comfortable when people are near.

Cindy Ludwig, MA, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Willard, Missouri
Serving Southwest Missouri and Beyond

06/30/2026

🐕 SUMMER SAFETY FOR YOUR PETS⛱️

Car safety:

“70 and over, don’t taker Rover” Closed cars heat up over 100 degrees in under 5 minutes

For Walks:

The 7-Second Rule: if it’s too hot for your hand on the pavement, it’s too hot for their paws

Air Temp -85, concrete 105, asphalt 130
Air Temp -95, concrete 125, asphalt 140
Air Temp -95, concrete 140, asphalt 155

05/13/2026

You’re teaching your dog ALL the time - not just when you’re “training.” Did you know that when you respond to anything he’s doing, he learns to do it more. Corrections, praise, food, punishments - all of these reactions from you reinforce his behavior and make it stronger. Contact Spry Dog if you want to know what to do instead.

They’re getting better at it.
It’s just not what you wanted.

Life happens.
We get busy. We get tired.
Management slips.
Doors get rushed at, and windows get barked through.
Behaviours get rehearsed.

It’s ok. This isn’t about perfection.
One of the hardest parts with behaviour change is that dogs don’t only learn during training sessions.
They learn from repetition all day, every day.

That’s why behaviour can sometimes feel so confusing and frustrating.

We may have had a fantastic training session in the morning, aimed at reducing that unwanted behaviour.
Then that same behaviour is unintentionally practised another 15 times across the rest of the week, or even in a day.
Those repetitions matter.

Behaviours that are practised regularly become faster and more “automatic” over time.

Management gets a bad rap sometimes but it’s one of the greatest tools we have to build new habits.
Management is not about “avoiding the issue”.
What it can do is reduce the rehearsal while we teach better coping skills and patterns instead.

That can be a huge shift for many dogs.

Behaviour change really is much bigger than that single moment we are trying to stop.
One thing’s for sure though.
If they practice it.
They’ll get better at it.

We just have to be careful with what “it” is.

05/02/2026

Great demo showing how to teach your dog to like having his teeth brushed. P.S. Brushing their teeth can keep them healthy much longer!

05/02/2026

If your dog is really “busy” much of the time, read this ^..^

If you don’t physically exhaust them… they just won’t stop.
Whoa there.
Let’s look at the bigger picture.... not just a quick “fix” for today.

I get it, I really do.
Running them longer..... throwing the frisbee for another 10 minutes, chucking that ball again and again, because if you don’t, they’ll pace, whine and struggle to settle.

Here’s the tough question.
Is it helping your dog… or just creating a cycle where they crave more and more?

Their stamina climbs higher.
Their demands increase.
Their adrenaline is off the charts.

Then "suddenly" the amount of exercise you need to give them is unsustainable .
There just aren’t enough hours in the day to “satisfy” them.

What's the solution?
Do less… but carefully.
Reduce that high energy exercise, while adding enrichment in its place.

Low arousal activities that tire them in a different way:

Scatter feeding
Scent walks
Enrichment games
Puzzle toys

Still not convinced?
Try it.... really try it , for a few weeks.

You’ll never look at “tiring them out” the same way again.