Unlocking Potential

The first group of Growl to Grow clients are actively doing their homework and following the training plans I’ve created for them and adapt as we go.

Growl to Grow clients may sound like you in the beginning. They are often struggling with barking at all things, their dogs fearfully lunging and nipping at guests, pulling on a leash or never coming back when the leash comes off.

Clients are learning about how learning is NEVER in a straight line and finding ways of staying patient with themselves and their dogs.

Dogs are learning how being with their people and playing games and interacting on a daily basis is the source of plenty. Plenty of love. Plenty of affection. Plenty of attention. Plenty of enrichment.

What continue to astounds me is where my clients hearts open and their imagination widens with seeing the untapped potential in their relationship with their dogs.

Is that you?

What if I told you, by the end of the program, you’ll be doing activities with your dogs you never imagined was possible?

Like taking your once highly reactive dog and being able to go into a busier city center and have lunch with friends and your dogs?

Or, planning on taking your fearful and reactive dog to a pet sitter or boarder for the first time? Finding out, your dog enjoyed her time there for a WHOLE weekend and not once had a reactive event causing more fear.

How about this one, being able to have your dog off leash for the first time and she stays with you for the ENTIRE run in the woods?

Unimaginable, right? Not at all.

All of these things have been accomplished by my clients. The goals of decreasing barking and changing their dogs’ minds about once stressful or fearful events are now exciting and enjoyable.

How about LOOSE leash walking. One client in particular had some trouble with her dog pulling on a leash and now she and her dog are doing a Couch 2 5K because her dog gained mad leash walking skill.

K-Rae and Ray wanted their dogs Shadow and Popeye have better leash walking skills and improve on recall and being off leash.

We played hide n’ seek and practiced loose leash walking in the first session.

In less than a week, the Ray recounted while on a run, Shadow ran with him off leash in the woods and she stayed right by Ray’s side the entire time.

This all happened because of the relationship K-Rae and Ray strengthened with their dogs.

Ray and Shadow practicing loose leash walking after the first session. Best friends hanging out together.

This can be you too!

Stella’s Success

Military life can change a way of life quickly and pet companions need to do the same. Not only are family dogs needing to up and move too, but sometimes where military families live is not necessarily in their hands. What results, is making sure everyone and pets included adjust well to their new community as well as feel relaxed in their new home.

Nick and Jess were frustrated in the beginning with Stella barking and lunging at passerby’s both in the backyard and while on walks. They knew Stella being a powerful breed, they wanted her to be gentle and accepting of her new neighbors. So, Nick and Jess were ready to put in a little work. 

As they transitioned to a busier and more condensed community living, Stella faced challenges of children running by, riding their bicycles, other dogs being walked by their people and living on a corner proved to be the challenge. Everyone came by every which way, and with longer daylight in the warmer months meant more people out and about with more opportunity for training.

Together, we worked on helping Stella look for Nick and Jess when things she perceived something strange and scary happened. We incorporated games like “Find It” as fun ways of teaching, but also as a strategy of helping Stella change her mind. The aim was, anyone, including dogs who walked by the yard, Stella was going to learn seeing or hearing them meant attention from her people which she loved. 

After a few sessions, Stella is more relaxed while on walks and in her backyard. She is less interested in what is going on because Nick and Jess helped her to know the busy road, the passerby’s and visitors only mean good things for her ALWAYS!

Ding Dong

Do your dogs bark non-stop with the sound of the doorbell?

Do you have a hard time answering the door when guests or delivery people come by because your dog is incessantly barking and trying to get out the door?

When you do open the door, does your dog lunge at a delivery person or instead, feel freedom and bolt away?

If you’re thinking “yes” to all of this, you’re for sure not alone. AND, you can help your dog become more comfortable with the buzz of the doorbell.

Let’s discuss the why’s for this happening in the first place.

Dogs are smart creatures and learn by making associations from one event to another. So the sequence goes for the doorbell is, the doorbell rings-person walks to the door-opens the door-another person on the other side of the door. Your dog has to determine if this is safe or not.

We can also go one step further out in the beginning. Dogs can differentiate between sounds based on their association to events https://eileenanddogs.com/blog/2019/03/21/dogs-hearing-vs-human-hearing/ So, a sound of a delivery truck can be learned by your dog that a person is going to come up the door-ring the bell-you answer-the door opens-unfamiliar person on the other side. In this situation, your dog can already be amped up with the sound of the delivery truck.

As your dog’s stress level rises with the anticipation of someone being behind the door, that energy must go somewhere. This is where you experience your dog barking, lunging even growling and nipping at guests.

What to do? The first step is making sure you can manage the front door area, so your dog is unable to get close to guests at the front door until your dog is able to greet calmly and quietly.

Setting up an area separating the front door access with baby gates or a tether leash would work.

Next comes the fun! Have you ever played Ding Dong Ditch as a kid?

Never heard of it?

Well, this version is adapted from the childhood game. The dog training version goes like this. Have someone in your family or a neighbor or a friend come by and ring the doorbell. The expectation is your dog will bark. Once your dog is quiet, praise and reward. Repeat several times a day for 5 days! Once your dog is able to bark less frequently and turn towards you and comes to you, you’re ready for the next step.

This is Maya. Maya had a hard time when hearing the doorbell. In the beginning, Maya was so stressed out with the sound of the bell, she refused treats. After a couple of sessions, Maya is able to quiet and redirect her attention back to her person. In between sessions, the family utilizes baby gate and instructs people stopping by to not use the doorbell. This way, Maya learns in a controlled environment.

Step 2 is when the doorbell is rung and you approach the door with your dog nearby and answer it, but no one is on the other side. This step is crucial. Why? This step helps your dog learn walking up to the door after the bell rung does not mean making a decision between friend or foe. You’ll be teaching your dog, answering the door will mean only good things for him!

Working incrementally like this helps change your dogs mind when they already have an emotional response (barking and nipping when answering the door when the doorbell rings). Breaking down the sequence of events breaks up the predictability of stranger-danger potential and allows for new experiences to take shape. In addition, also take note how your dog reacts to men versus women, people in uniforms, wearing hats, sunglasses and children of all ages ect. Added steps of getting your dog to accept these nuances with people may be necessary.

Step 3 is bringing it all together. Now, is when the doorbell rings, you answer it and a person is there. Praising and rewarding for when your dog is calm and quiet throughout the steps, will ensure your dog now sees the door opening and someone being there as the best thing in his life. He will want the doorbell to ring and be happy greeting everyone coming by!