How Dogs Speak without Words People tend to think that dog body language is straightforward. If your dog is wagging their tail, they’re happy; if they’re yawning, they’re tired; if their hair is standing on end, they’re angry… right? Wrong. We often don’t understand what our dogs are telling us because we ascribe human meanings to dogs’ behavior. In reality, dogs and humans communicate in really different ways. It’s almost like we’re a different species!  Read on to get the scoop on dog body language from the experts at Vermont Dog Behavior. We’re gonna talk about how dogs and humans di ..read more

When we begin giving our dog choices, and start asking them for permission, we empower them. Empowerment creates confidence, decreasing the likelihood of behavior problems. Animal training should consist of a conversation, not a monologue. It's our job to listen to what the dog is saying, and make changes to the environment in order to change the behavior.  For example, I have a dog who growls when he's reached for. Every time he growls I pull my hand away. The more that the growling works, stopping me from grabbing the dog, the more he will growl in the future. How can I change this patt ..read more

But He Knows It! When I meet a client for the first time one of the most common things I hear when a dog doesn't perform up to the owner's expectations is, "But he knows it!". This could be in reference to walking on leash politely, sit-stay, leave it or any other behavior we're asking for. I understand how frustrating it can be for pet parents when they've practiced over and over in their living room, but their dog can't perform the same behavior in a new space. However, my response to them is always the same. Your dog doesn't actually know it. I'm going to let you all in on a little secre ..read more

The dog training world is completely unregulated. There are no requirements or licenses needed. There is no one checking in to make sure the services being provided are ethical and humane. Similar to the fitness and health industry, fancy marketing schemes and promises of quick fixes can lead to undesired consequences. How many have gone on a diet only to gain everything back, plus some at the end? Behavior change just isn’t easy for us, and it’s definitely not for our dogs either. To make things worse, in our beautiful state of Vermont, there is no kennel inspection process or oversight or an ..read more

Guest Blog by: Cinder Wilkinson-Kenner I’ve seen a lot of “personality tests” and articles titled “You May Be An Introvert If…” on the web recently. Sometimes they’re just silly, sometimes they’re based on actual tools used to define personality types, like the Myers Briggs inventory. No matter what the origin, people have been taking them, and talking about them, and interested in identifying themselves and their friends’ and co-workers’ “types”. Sometimes it’s just a fun exercise, sometimes it’s a real gateway to better communication and understanding. Since I am a dog trainer, my work world ..read more

While we are all staying home, we are learning how challenging it is to have limited activity and entertainment options.  Many people can “find things to do” to occupy some of their time but after a while, even the most resourceful and creative among us will be itching to get back “normal” routines and behavior.   Imagine how your pets feel every day!  Their abilities to “find things to do” are more limited than ours – and when they do “find” something to do, it may not be something we want them to do!  Just the other night, my dog decided to shred one of her bed ..read more

The longer I’ve been dog training and consulting, the more I’ve come to realize that as humans we really like to label things. We do this because it makes it easier to explain behavior. It’s easier for us to communicate to our clients more complicated topics in easy punch lines. However, the problem with consistently explaining behavior in generalized terms is that we start to diminish the quality or actuality of the behaviors we are trying to describe, therefore making it more difficult to actually change underlying behavior and emotional responses. Before going further, I’d like to mention t ..read more

It was a whirlwind of a day! We had more than 150 people walk through our door, meet some vendors, hang out with their dogs, and enjoy some wonderful food and beer! We are grateful to be welcomed and honored to be among such a robust dog community – Thank you to everyone who came out to check out our new space and support our journey – So much gratitude and respect to our talented, generous vendors Pames Provisions LLC Simply B @realart.sk Bellcate School Dog Treats Pet Food Warehouse @long_trail_dogs @lazybonestreats@dugnap 1st Republic Brewing Co FourPawsitivity Dale Boca Cafe @owlsirisphot ..read more