Play To Behave Pet Behavior Counseling

But it will be funny! Excited to be on my way to a Festschrift to honor my Dad, and with Dad comes humor and fun, like this cartoon of his. 😊

The magazine inside today’s New York Times.

One of Rae’s favorites! 😁

I got such a nice compliment today. One of the men working on our patio remarked how nice it is to see someone do something wonderful for their dogs. This area will have artificial turf so we can practice the sport of agility and/or give them a place to play when the weather is muddy or icy.

Someday, it might also be used for grandchildren to play, if we are that lucky to have them.

It’s an investment but like my “someday” grandchildren, we see our dogs as members of the family so it’s a pleasure to give them this gift!

*If you are wondering why the fence is being added, it’s to keep the turf clean when it’s muddy out. Plus it’s just for play and not elimination.*

This weekend, there was no prize money or media exposure, but still, there was hollering, grand applause, and some tears of joy when two friends earned their dog Agility Championship. And rightfully so. It’s a long road and represents an effort with ups, downs and all arounds that finally results in a dog that really becomes a part of you and you, a part of them, as your skills come together. This is a closeness like no other, including the added closeness with friends that have been your support all along. Bravo to Cindy and Josie and to Sue and Denver! 🐕🐾🏆

I am at an agility competition and if you briefly listen in to the handlers chatting, you can feel the friendships and the love they have for each other and for their dogs. The sport of agility attracts people that are motivated by the love of dogs and that’s a different kind of sport competitor. Athletic or not, you could fit right in.

I’m at the Zoo for continuing ed in veterinary medicine. My take-away for you? Ask your vet about using local blocks for pain, not just for on the surface issues but for invasive surgery too! It can make a huge difference in your dog’s recovery. I’m a fan now.

"Thank goodness my dog grew out of that!" Did she? Or was it that you put in the time and effort to get the skills so you could teach her the behavior you want? If we bet on which one is true, I'll always wager on skills, time and effort and I'll win! 🥇😁🐾

If your dog "used to do that", PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK! Because if you didn't work on leash walking, barking, chewing, housetraining and more, your dog would not just "grow out of it".

And if you still have behavior you want changed, knowing you just need some skills, time and effort is a relief. You can change that behavior too. 😊

When you leave your dog with a sitter to travel - and we are into travel season - here’s a reminder. Don’t forget to leave ALL the info on your dog that someone might need, including:

+ the microchip number
+ breed
+ age
+ any medications
+ veterinarian’s number
+ family back up for care
+ your own address (even if your dog is home)
+ how to be reached

What am I forgetting?

Photo of my beautiful sister and her late dog, Cooper

The reason people think “dominance” or being the boss of your dog is needed is because they *think* they see it work. But what is really working is… structure, clarity and consistency. And you don’t need to be “alpha” to provide structure, clarity and consistency. Please share.

Is it disobedience or is it anxiety? Years ago, my Aussie, Pepper used to jump and bark at me when we were training on course. I was told she didn’t respect me but everywhere we went, other than the agility course, she listened well - even off-leash. Didn’t make sense.

Dogs have different ways to show anxiety. A Great Pyrenees probably won’t move, a beagle may sniff, an Aussie like Pepper may bark, spin and even bite, another may scratch and so on. If you don’t realize this, you might think your dog is not listening to you when actually, your dog is taking in every bit of information possible and in information overload.

Your best move is to help your dog relax. In Pepper’s case, I wasn’t good at agility yet so I was confusing her, causing anxiety, hence the barking and jumping on me. Once I understood and became more skilled, this behavior stopped.

What does your dog do when stressed or in “information overload”?

Why do most books and trainers think all our dogs should be raised and turn out the same? Raising my “litter”… One is sensitive and a bit dramatic, one laid back and humorous, one wicked smart and serious and one could rule the world with her smile and her stubbornness. I have a baker/woodworker, a scientist who looks to the stars, a teacher/artist and an engineer/lawyer. Same parents. Same household. Dogs are different too so adjust your training, patience and expectations. Training principles are the same but the training IS individual. Speed and tactics change. Don’t you think each dog is a wonderful new journey?

Feeding your dog a raw diet? Please see this post by a Board Certified Veterinary Neurologist. If your dog is lucky enough that you are willing to provide a fresh diet, please cook the meat. I used to support raw diets but it isn't worth the risk.

Raw Diets: A Healthy Choice or a Raw Deal? Raw meat-based diets, both commercial and home-made are increasing in popularity. You likely know a friend or colleague who is feeding this type of diet to their pets and you may have heard lots of wonderful things about what these diets can do. But how much of the glowing testimonials that you’ve...

On Tuesdays, I have a private agility lesson so I can be told, yet again, many of the same things I’ve heard upteen times before because… yeah… it takes that many times.

Not to mention that I have picked up a few bad habits from when I first learned my skills and those, my friend can take a long time to fix!

So there’s a good chance that you have some habits in need of change when it comes to your dog, your golf game, cooking or skills you seek to improve.

Let me know in the comments if this strikes a chord with you!

And I’ll say that it takes an excellent instructor, Angela Dotson, to design and teach in a way that turns those skills around and in a way that makes the little but very important skills - the foundation - to become rock solid.

Angie with Mickey

What chews do you give your dog? Chewing does more than keep your dog busy. Chews can keep their teeth clean and be soothing.

On the next call in the Play To Behave program, I’ll be summarizing the current data on chew choices including safety, calories and if they really do help clean teeth so I’d love to include your responses.

And if you want to join, go to playtobehave.com/JOIN

How are your walks going? Rae is looking at a squirrel here. We are watching together and she’s calm. Best thing I ever taught her. 😊

Table scraps... who made it shameful for us to feed our dogs "human food"? Because it's not. Perhaps a dog food company came up with this idea?

Of course, your dog needs a balanced diet and it's also best to feed healthy food - meaning whole foods or foods without a bunch of processing and preservatives. But just because a packaged food is made for dogs, doesn't make food or treats healthy. Take a look at the ingredients and if you don't know what they are, chances are the compound is a form of sugar or a preservative.

Plus many dog treats add garlic which in high amounts or when garlic accumulates, it is toxic to dogs. Why is that in there?

So go ahead and supplement or treat your dog to cheese, bits of healthy deli meat or roasted chicken, for example. Just don't overdo it but I'm here to say, "table food" is fine.

At my favorite coffee shop excited to plan my next project for you and your dog to give you my best tips. What would you ask me if you were here having coffee with me?

Shout out to Heartwood Coffee Roasters in Chagrin Falls who serve a smile with every amazing cup of coffee.

It’s Pepper’s Birthday today and 5 years since I lost her. I still find myself talking to her where she is perched on our tall dresser, in a beautiful box. The tears can come quickly. Thank you Gemi Sasson-Brickson for one of my life’s best friendships, what I learned from her and all the experiences. So much more than the word “pet” conveys.

Highly recommend the true story “Megan Leavy” on Netflix. Excellent. And, of course, there is a dog. 🐕 Let me know if you see it!

Do you realize your dog needs to put what they learn into action? That’s two steps. They might learn and do “it” ar the same time OR your dog might not implement until the next go around or later. Now that you know this, it might take YOU a bit to remember to have more patience because the same two steps applies to people.

Anyone else not know this existed? A Rainbow Bridge you can visit. So touching.

TikTok · Lauren Kotowski 178K likes, 4008 comments. “Visited the rainbow bridge this morning & felt all the emotions. What an amazing tribute to all the loved pets that have passed. Designs I found Roscoe’s collar and gave him a tap!”

CLICK! And there it was. A sweet message from a student today that made my heart sing. I can’t tell you how much it makes my day to get a word from someone you coach. Dog agility is my passion and it’s even more fun when you not only love WHAT you teach but also love THOSE you teach.

Every week, I’m grateful I have those students. Not only are they amazing humans and handlers, but also, when they struggle, I get to watch them discover new perspectives and grow. And then I grow too.

It’s taken years to feel solid as an instructor and coach, and I do shudder a little, remembering my mistakes along the way. But it’s been worth it.

In other parts of the world, teaching is considered one of, if not THE top profession and I agree for both the student and the teacher.

Mickey here, enjoys the time we get to play after class.

Atta Boy! It’s always nice when Mickey gets mail.

Today, in one of my cases, I was reminded that your dog can bring you more than friendship or the chance to be a team in a sport. The woman's dog is helping her heal from some very deep emotional wounds. I've seen dogs empower those that love them and seemingly speed healing, time and again, in my teaching and in my work. So when those times of weariness or frustration come and you may not want to put in the "work" a dog can require, remember...
..what you put in with your dog will come back to you, in multiples. You will get what you give and more with a dog that is bonded to you. It's worth it.