Blog
Resolving the Past
In Peter Levine's "Trauma and Memory" he explains that successful renegotiation of traumatic memories is accomplished by navigating the stressful experiences that trigger those memories. This leads to a feeling of triumph and mastery, and thus resolution of the past. In this way, we can move forward in life with vibrant energy, no longer stuck in the old patterns that our autonomic nervous system keeps replaying (fight/flight/freeze & appease).So with a dog who is reactive, we have to create the same possibility of successful renegotiation. This is different from counter-conditioning. This takes the original triggering experience, allows the dog to...
Enrichment 2.0: Breed Specific Biological Fulfillment
Sniffing, licking, and chewing are all soothing to a dog. Scatter feeding, snuffle mats, and chews are all essential in our repertoire of enrichment activities. But you know what else is extremely satisfying and regulating to dogs? Biting, tugging, kill-shaking, and dissecting. If we want to look at the predatory sequence, we must honor the dog as an actual predator. Predators spend a lot of energy hunting, seeking, searching, and eye-stalking their prey. They then chase, catch, and kill. THEN they dissect and ingest. If you are missing any of these activities, then it's possible that your dog is...
What is Obedience?
"Obedience" should be about communication. A lot of people make it about the dog obeying commands because they "respect" you. I always say the dog doesn't need to respect you, that is simply a projection of human psychology, as well as a reductive perspective on our relationship with dogs. What you need is for your dog to RESPOND to you. This is what communication is all about, I project a want, need, or inquiry, and I get a response. When we are communicating with our dogs, instead of just commanding them to obey, there are a few things we need...
Upcoming Events
Grief Support Group Losing a pet is a very difficult part of life for which we have no established rituals. This support group will be a place to share our experiences around pet loss and grieving.When: August 31st at 3pm Where: Chattanooga Library Downtown Meeting Room This will be a space for us to talk about all types of grief. This can be the loss of a pet through death, behavioral euthanasia, divorce, or re-homing. This can be grief about losing cats, dogs, birds, or exotics. This can even be grief about lack of relationship with your current pets, if...
Kajsa van Overbeek Mindset Coach
Mindset matters! Grow your emotional capacity by learning how to deal with stress and making room for feelings! Kajsa explains to us how radical acceptance of stressful situations and the feelings that they produce can bring us closer to a sense of peace and well being. Kajsa is a mindset coach who helps guardians of challenging dogs reduce stress and anxiety in their life. This episode is incredibly useful for those struggling with their feelings about having a reactive dog in their care. Kajsa's Coaching Website: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/ Kajsa and Rusty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theruscattledog Ruff Around the Edges Podcast:...