The Growl to Grow Online Dog Training Program is available!
It will only be offered at my introductory rate for this week only. Sign up and get started!
This program is designed for frustrated dog owners who are struggling with your dog’s barking and lunging at all things! I wish I had something like this when I was figuring out Jack’s reactivity.
The frustration you feel now, doesn’t have to stay this way if you don’t want it to.
You can make the choice of taking the next step and teach your dog to do something different with no force, no fear and no pain.
This is a 5 week, self paced program. It’s flexible to fit your schedule and you can work in training on your own time. The program also offers you to schedule Trainer Time with me. You will have 2 one hour in person or virtual appointment which can also be scheduled on your own time. This is designed, so you can ask questions when we meet and I can fine tune the skills you’re practicing.
You will gain an understanding of why your dog is barking and lunging, how to encourage your dog to do something else with the end result of you having a calmer and more relaxed dog.
Let’s face it, when you have a more relaxed dog, you will feel more interested in starting walks back up, going into restaurants with your best friend, traveling and meeting up with friends. When your dog is relaxed, you will also feel more confident in tackling situations like a move back stateside or to a new duty station.
One client signed up because her family is coming to visit and she wants her dog to have better house manners. Barking and lunging at guests when they come into your home can be a scary situation not only for your dog, but your friends and family.
Reset your relationship with your dog with the Growl to Grow Online Reactive Dog Training program.
Michelle reached out to me in the beginning of March. She adopted Zoe from a rescue who primarily works with street dogs out of Hungary.
Michelle was not a novice dog owner nor was dog-people or dog-dog reactivity an unknown situation for her. She was familiar with using a muzzle, she understood how unfamiliar things, people and places can trigger dogs, but what she wasn’t prepared for was Zoe’s fearfulness.
Zoe before she arrived at her forever home with Michelle.
Zoe had a hard adjustment to living in a home with unfamiliar people. Everything from the sounds of cars driving by, to the morning alarm going off to even the clanking sound of chocolate chips in a ceramic bowl had Zoe careening around the corner and barking at Michelle.
Michelle was nervous.
Michelle was unsure of what Zoe was communicating, what her triggers were and how to keep her safe and other people safe from Zoe’s seemingly unpredictable nature.
What was clear, mutual trust was missing. Everyone in the home was afraid, including Zoe. Michelle’s compassionate heart ached for Zoe. She wanted Zoe to feel comfortable in order for her and her family to feel the same.
We started off 4 months ago with simple relationship building exercises which Michelle practiced with Zoe consistently. She even helped Zoe accept the crate and utilized ideas from Canine Enrichment Facebook group.
Over the course of our time together, Zoe has accomplished unbelievable milestones. She’s been acclimated to a doggie daycare, she loved her weekend at dog sitter which allowed Michelle and her husband a weekend away, and the most exciting (for me) was I was able to hand feed treats to her just last week!
Michelle with Zoe and their other adopted dog, Maverick
While everything is not perfect, Michelle learned she’s looking for progress. Small steps towards a more relaxed dog is what she is focused on in training and just spending time with her pups.
Behavior is unpredictable, but the more Michelle observes Zoe’s behavior, understands contexts of what Zoe is communicating and knowing change takes time helps even when the not-so-good days happen. Because they do and Michelle can for sure attest to them.
What is undeniable, is Michelle’s commitment to ensuring she provides an uncompromised life for both Zoe and Maverick. She is setting not only her dogs up for success daily, but she learned to do the same for herself.
While helping dogs move through their feelings of fearfulness, you learn how your own heart can grow and empathy spills over.
Taking the time and building a social bond with your dog will help your dog feel secure, trust you and feel confident in new situations. All the things you want your dog to experience.
Let’s get started! Sign up for a Discovery Call with me and let’s chat about how you can discover how to enjoy life with your dog.
Your name means something. For many, the name you have in adulthood was given when you are born.
Names are the start of your identity. Nicknames, stories and memories come from the mouths of friends, family, peers, employers and employees with your name attached to them.
For others, new names are adopted due to changing identities, family structures or even because you did not like the name you were born into.
Names are apart of your being and they help create who you are past, present and future.
What about dogs? The same holds true for them too. Names are given to our best friends out of love. You may even try and capture the essence of your dog through his name or many times, his nicknames clarifies different parts of your dog’s self.
A client this past week, said something so profound which made me pause. She described how her dog responded to her name differently in different circumstances and explained her understanding of the situation.
At the start of each session with clients, I ask what’s going well, what challenges are happening and how can we move forward.
These three questions help people jog their memory, set both the client and dog up for success, acknowledge learning never happens in a straight line (there are good days and not so good ones) and setting a plan for practice for the week ahead with new homework to work on.
Sharee adopted a beautiful German Shepherd, whose name is Ellie. Ellie is a bit timid, but has a whole lotta love to give. Ellie is still learning the ropes of being in her new home, so the family is working out setting up a routine, boundaries and consistent rules for the home which will keep Ellie, Bella and Moon safe.
For Ellie, moving into a new home, having a new-to-her family and having a different way of life can be confusing. It can lead to things like barking, or cat chasing or getting into things that the family doesn’t want her to get into.
Plain and simple, Ellie is smart. Sometimes, this can lead to her family’s frustration.
Sharee practicing with Ellie. This is their first time with Dr. Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol.
In our first session, we practiced with helping Ellie learn to love her name. All good things happen when someone says Ellie’s name. This is one of the foundation behaviors you’ll learn when you become a client.
It goes like this, say your dog’s name, your dog will offer a head turn towards you or come over to you, praise and reward. Simple.
You need your dog to love coming when his name is called. All requests for behaviors start with your dog’s name. Your job is making sure your dog loves when you call his name. Happy, high pitched voice is the way to go.
Now going back to my conversation with Sharee. She made the connection that when her family said Ellie’s name with a happy voice, Ellie was eager and willing to come over and say hello. On the flip side, when there is frustration in saying Ellie, Ellie was more reluctant and unsure about coming over.
Makes total sense. Not only does the tone and pitch change when we are happy vs frustrated, but your body language does too.
Now, if Sharee and her family did not make this connection with how they say Ellie’s name, this definitely would lead to a breakdown in their relationship and increase Sharee’s frustration with Ellie’s behavior.
What would start to happen, Sharee would start to see Ellie doing the wrong thing more frequently, say Ellie’s name with frustration which would give Ellie attention when she isn’t doing the right thing. This will reinforce Ellie’s behavior of cat chasing, getting into things she should not and barking. Plus it would lead Ellie to avoid family members and she would most likely make the choice not to come to Sharee when she calls Ellie’s name.
Then the cycle begins. Behavior the family does not want is reinforced. Everyone is frustrated and at wits end.
The choice is simple. Make all interactions with your dogs happy and enjoyable and you will get the behaviors you want, you will reinforce them and your dog will always love coming to you.
Four Paws & You Dog Training 