Blog — Rescue Dogs

One of the most important distinctions I think we can make when working with anxious or reactive dogs is the difference between a dog appearing calmer and a dog actually becoming more capable of navigating stress. These two things can look very similar from the outside, but they are not necessarily the same process. A dog who is barking, lunging, pacing, scanning the environment, or unable to settle is clearly showing us that something about their current state is interfering with their ability to function comfortably. Reducing that level of distress can be enormously valuable. In some cases, medication is...

When we talk about leadership in the human-dog relationship, the word can sometimes bring up outdated ideas about dominance, control, or being the “alpha.” For many years, dog owners were taught that they needed to establish themselves as the leader by controlling their dog's behavior, correcting unwanted behaviors, or making sure the dog understood who was in charge. Even as training philosophies have evolved, the idea of leadership is sometimes reduced to getting a dog to listen or comply.

The word enrichment has become increasingly popular in the dog world, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. Food puzzles, snuffle mats, lick mats, flirt poles, hiking, agility, swimming, and scent work are all commonly described as enrichment, even though they are not all the same thing. While these activities may all improve a dog's quality of life, they fulfill different biological and psychological needs. Understanding the distinction between enrichment, breed fulfillment, and biological fulfillment helps us make more intentional choices about how we care for our dogs. Rather than viewing them as interchangeable, it is more helpful...

A dog fight is one of the most frightening and emotionally overwhelming experiences that many of us dog lovers will experience. Even when the physical injuries are minor, the emotional impact can be significant. The sounds, the intensity, and shock of watching two dogs you love inflicting violence on each other can leave you feeling disheartened, scared, and uncertain about what to do next. Many people immediately want to solve the problem. They want to know why it happened, whether it will happen again, and how they can make sure their dogs are safe together in the future. Those questions...

  When people seek help for a reactive dog, they often assume the solution is to spend more time working directly on the reactive behavior itself. More exposure. More training sessions. More opportunities to practice around triggers. But the truth is that your dog's reactivity isn't really changing during the outburst; the real work happens in all the moments in between. The nervous system that barks, lunges, panics, freezes, or explodes in a stressful situation was shaped by thousands of experiences that occurred long before that moment. And if we want lasting change, we have to stop focusing exclusively on...